The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Awards dished out over disability champions’ efforts
Staff from a charity supporting disabled people have been honoured for their loyalty and compassion.
Workers for Cornerstone from the north-east and Moray were recognised at a glittering awards ceremony for its 2,000 staff in Aberdeen, with prizes presented by Dame Anne Begg.
More than 75 nominations were received across a range of categories, which included Employee of the Year, Team of the Year, the Ambassador Award and the Outstanding Achievement of the Year Award.
A number of long service awards were also handed out to staff who had worked at Cornerstone for 10 and 20 years, as well as awards to recognise staff who had achieved Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQ), or Professional Development Awards (PDA).
Nominees for the awards included several volunteers and staff who have gone above and beyond in their roles and duties, as well as a number of people supported by Cornerstone who have overcome a wide range of difficulties to achieve their goals, including losing weight, moving house and going on holiday for the first time.
Among the winners were Elizabeth Grant, a team leader in Stonehaven, who was joint winner of Employee of the Year. She received nine nominations from colleagues, who described her as “amazing and helpful”, “compassionate and understanding”, and a “beacon of inspiration”. She was also praised as a colleague who empowers staff and residents to do the best they can.
Another north winner was Birchview Respite Service in Moray, which was victorious in the Team of the Year category. The judges considered them to be an excellent example of a team who go above and beyond for the people they support.
They were described as having great relationships with the families of people supported at the service. They regularly organise social events and fundraisers, and they have received excellent ratings across the board from the Care Inspectorate for the last two years.
The Altonrea/Taransay team in Aberdeen also scooped a prestigious prize, winning the Going for Gold award for top performing services.
Judges felt the staff demonstrated a commitment to helping people achieve a sense of independence.
Other winners included Louise Dickson, HR lead in Glasgow who was joint winner of the Employee of the Year award, Amit Singh and Max Fullarton of North Lanarkshire who were joint winners of the Ambassador of the Year prize and language support worker Claire Parker of Dalmarnock, Glasgow, who won the Outstanding Achievement award.
More than 60 staff completed training courses and 67 workers were honoured for their long service.
Cornerstone chief executive Edel Harris said: “The awards were a fitting celebration of both those who work for the charity and those we support.
“Everyone at Cornerstone works tirelessly to enable the people we support to live a valued life – the life they choose. This work can often go unnoticed and unrecognised, so we are thrilled that so many people took the time to nominate others for an award.
“The past year has seen many highlights and successes. We are extremely proud.”