Reed Carer of The Year 2010 Announced

Lorraine Marshall, a Head Care Assistant in Edinburgh, and Georgia Douglas, a Social Worker in North Tyneside, were Reed Carer of the Year 2010 and Reed Social Worker of the Year 2010 respectively.

At a prestigious awards event at the Waldorf Hotel in London (on Thursday 2nd September), guest speaker Dame Joan Bakewell, the first official ‘Voice of Older People’, commented: “From paupers to monarchs, at some point in their lives everyone needs care. The Carers and Social Workers in this room are doing the work of angels. Their work is right at the heart of humanity and I take great heart in the knowledge that it may be one of you caring for me.”

Chosen from 27 finalists, drawn from 14 regions after a record number of nominations, Lorraine and Georgia each received £1,000 worth of holiday vouchers in addition to the accolade of being named Reed Carer of the Year 2010 and Reed Social Worker of the Year 2010.

Reed Carer of the Year
For the last 20 years, Reed Carer of the Year 2010 winner Lorraine Marshall has been working at Libertus Day Care Centre in South Edinburgh, which supports people of all ages who experience physical or learning disabilities or age-related infirmity. Extracts from Lorraine’s Award nominations include: “Lorraine puts so much effort into looking after us. Nothing is too much trouble for her. She is very kind and caring and always makes time to listen to anything you have to say and can be depended on to help. She is a wonderful example to others.”

Lorraine said: “It is fantastic to receive this award, but the simple fact is that I just love being a carer – encouraging people, promoting independence and helping them live a better life. It is really rewarding working with older people. There is always lots of laughter and I love listening to their stories.”

Reed Social Worker of the Year
Reed Social Worker of the Year 2010 Georgia Douglas is based at North Tyneside Hospital in the Discharge Team, and was nominated for all her support, knowledge, expertise and flexibility. Extracts from Georgia’s Award nominations include: “Georgia is passionate about her job and her team, and will always go out of her way to help staff and especially service users. She is a role model to what a manager and social worker should be.”

Commenting on her award, Georgia said: “It is an honour to receive this award and I am so lucky that it is for a job that I love doing. It is rewarding that I am able to support people in times of crisis and make a positive difference in their lives.”

Commenting on the success of this year’s awards, Reed Social Care Director Leslie Weare said: “We were delighted to receive so many nominations for a large number of exceptional individuals working in care and social work. The judging panel had an extremely impressive selection of regional winners to chose from, and Lorraine and Georgia were both deserved winners.”

Reed Global specialise in Social Care recruitment, and in association with Sue Ryder Care, this year’s Reed Carer of the Year Awards attracted nearly 900 nominations and triggered a donation of £10,000 to Sue Ryder Care by Reed.

Via EPR Network
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Foster Care Associates Rated Outstanding In Ofsted Inspections

Foster Care Associates (FCA) has reaffirmed its status as the UK’s leading independent fostering agency through the publication of recent Ofsted inspection results.

Assessing the quality and standard of services provided in its North West and South West regions, Ofsted judged each category and the region as a whole as ‘Outstanding’ – a fantastic achievement for the fostering agency. The inspectors found extensive evidence to underpin their judgement, particularly from children and young people and the agency’s foster carer colleagues.

The results further support the fostering agency in its ongoing commitment to raising standards of foster care and improving outcomes for children and young people. Through the Team Parenting model of foster care – delivering an extended network of professional support services to the foster carer and the child or young person – FCA is working to change the shape of foster care in the UK.

Regional manager at FCA North West, Colette Abbiss said: “We are delighted to have achieved the highest accolade with our practice being judged as ‘Outstanding’. The outcome is testament to the consistent hard work in the North West and the dedication and commitment of our staff and foster carers to our children and young people. The senior management team and I are very proud indeed and dedicate this achievement to the team effort in striving for excellence.”

Echoing these sentiments, Sheeree Cole, regional manager, FCA South West commented: “The staff at FCA South West are true professionals and they will go the extra mile both in terms of their outstanding practice and in terms of supporting carers. I feel very lucky that I have such a remarkable group of professionals that I have the privilege of managing. They truly deserve the ‘Outstanding’ accolade and I feel very proud that the South West has achieved such a terrific result.”

FCA North West provides an ‘Outstanding’ fostering service throughout the North West Region, delivering foster care in Manchester, fostering in Liverpool, and beyond, providing the highest level of local support to carers. This includes access to a wide range of support professionals, geared at addressing every looked after child or young person’s needs. FCA South West covers fostering in Cornwall, Plymouth, Exeter, and Torquay and across the South West.

Via EPR Network
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Reed Finance Shortlisted For CIMA’s Recruitment Consultancy Of The Year 2010 Award

Reed Finance have been shortlisted by CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants) for their Recruitment Consultancy of the Year 2010 Award, which will be presented on 22 November 2010 at The Royal Lancaster Hotel in London.

Reed Finance Divisional Director, Tim Vye, comments: “We were delighted to hear that we had been nominated for this award. In a marketplace of hundreds of financial recruitment agencies, it’s an achievement to have reached CIMA’s shortlist.

“The award judges look for evidence of commitment to the employability of CIMA members and the provision of career advice that goes beyond normal levels of service. This nomination is therefore testament to the excellent service offered by our consultants.”

CIMA is the world’s largest professional body of management accountants, and the CIMA qualification is one of the most sought-after financial qualifications by employers – due to their focus on producing commercial and forward-looking finance professionals and business leaders.

Via EPR Network
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Hays Reports Graduates Turning To UK Call Centres To Get A Foot On The Career Ladder

Hays, in conjunction with the Top 50 Call Centres for Customer Service initiative, has reported that UK call centres are attracting more graduate employees.

Hays Contact Centres revealed that over two in five (43%) call centre managers have experienced a rise in graduate applications over the last twelve months and 35% of call centre workers are now educated to an undergraduate university level, compared to 25% in 2009.

The level of interest from graduates is not surprising, given that there are currently around 70 graduates for every job vacancy compared to just 31 graduates in 2008, suggesting that graduates are making a smart move in turning to UK call centres for employment opportunities.

According to the survey of 286 call centre professionals, working in the industry offers a real chance for career progression, with 54% of call centre agents agreeing they have a clear opportunity to progress beyond their current position, compared to just 40% in 2009. Over half (58%) stated they would like to develop a long-term career in the industry and the signs are encouraging, as 55% of UK call centre managers started out as agents.

The survey also suggests that graduates will benefit from excellent training and development opportunities in the call centre, as 65% of managers spend more than 20% of their time coaching or training team members, and one in four at least 40% of their week.

Simon Thorpe, Programme Director at Top 50 Call Centres for Customer Service, said: “There are record numbers of graduates looking for work this year and it’s encouraging that so many are attracted to the call centre industry. UK call centres offer excellent training opportunities and competitive salaries, plus the opportunity for graduates to develop their careers and move up the ladder, both within the call centre and across the wider organisation.”

Via EPR Network
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