A young support worker who balances life as the primary carer for her mum with a fulltime job helping people with complex mental health needs has won national recognition for her efforts.<\/p>\n
Ellie Jones, 20, joined the care industry just two years ago but has now earned herself a coveted bronze award in this year\u2019s Wales Care Awards \u2013 the care sector equivalent to the Oscars.<\/p>\n
Since joining Liberty Care Ltd in Blackwood, Caerphilly, as a support worker and being quickly promoted to senior support worker, the former Ystrad Mynach student has continually impressed her team \u2013 so much so they repeatedly nominate her for staff member of the month.<\/p>\n
The care worker, who supports five women with mental health needs in a supported living home, then found herself shortlisted for the Exceptional Newcomer Award, sponsored by Barchester Healthcare, at the national awards.<\/p>\n
The annual event is hosted by social care champions Care Forum Wales which supports more than 450 care homes, nursing homes and other independent health and social care providers across Wales.<\/p>\n
Ellie, from Blackwood, accepted her award from the Lord Mayor of Cardiff, Graham Hinchey, at a glittering ceremony at City Hall in Cardiff, hosted by popular tenor, Wynne Evans, best known as Gio Compario from the Go Compare TV ads, where she was presented with her bronze award.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very surprised but proud to be shortlisted out of all the nominees,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing put forward for an award was more than enough for me but to find out I am shortlisted has been overwhelming. I\u2019m very chuffed and proud.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s nothing I regret about coming into this role. I love my job and just coming into work and making a difference is a massive achievement for me and seeing people progress is really rewarding.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ellie\u2019s colleagues put her success down to her natural ability to empathise and put herself in the shoes of her service users \u2013 skills born by her experience as the main carer for her mother over the past five years.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was 14 or 15 when my mum had her first stroke,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mum had great difficulty with her physical abilities from that point including personal care so I would support my mum in that area and help her with her benefits. I also had to take on the role of being a young carer for younger three siblings and then my grandparents became quite unwell too.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese experiences have helped me in different ways. It has helped me to recognise dignity as obviously with my mum it was quite deflating for her to be showered. I tried to find ways of helping her feel more comfortable and now I apply that to my role to ensure the dignity of the ladies I support.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has allowed me to be more compassionate and I think it has allowed me to adapt as a person and become more confident and push myself to limits I didn\u2019t think were possible. I never thought I would be able to contact GPs for myself let alone for someone else.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt can be difficult as I don\u2019t get a lot of time to myself. On my days off I\u2019m making up for the time I was in work and making sure I\u2019m able to take my mum to appointments and cooking, cleaning and administering medicine.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ellie was nominated for her award by Sue Smith, Team Leader at Liberty Care Ltd.<\/p>\n
She said: \u201cWhen Ellie first came to us she had just turned 18 but was extremely natural in the way she interacted with service users.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe made an instant impression but more so because that support was delivered during the pandemic when the impact on mental health was quite significant.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me this young girl of 18, having never worked in care before, was standing out as an individual who worked naturally with individuals in times of crisis and was making a difference to them.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m absolutely chuffed to pieces for her. Ellie has worked hard and still does. She goes above and beyond to make sure the ladies she supports have good quality care.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mario Kreft MBE, Chair of\u00a0Care\u00a0Forum\u00a0Wales, said the ceremony was all the more poignant because of the Covid pandemic and what front line staff had endured.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cI would like to pay a heartfelt tribute to all the wonderful people who work in social care after they rose magnificently and courageously to meet the unprecedented challenges they have faced over the past couple of years.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have always recognised their true value and hopefully now the rest of Wales is also aware of how lucky we are as a nation to\u00a0have them providing care and safeguarding our most vulnerable people.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur finalists are the best of the best and are here representing the whole social care workforce who all deserve a big pat on the back.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are only winners here tonight so it is only fitting that the finalists will receive a gold, silver or bronze Wales Care Award.<\/p>\n
\u201cI trust that they will continue to inspire those around them as role models and encourage others to aspire to even greater heights and in the months and years to come.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the words of the powerful song, Heroes of our Heart, written by the acclaimed poet Mererid Hopwood and sung by Sir Bryn Terfel, let the Diolch last forever.<\/p>\n
\u201dWe take our hats off to them.\u201d<\/p>\n