Mayor Ben Houchen has applauded a Tees Valley care worker who has scooped a top industry award.
On a visit to Saltburn’s Meadowvale Homecare, which supports 130 vulnerable adults within Redcar and Cleveland, Mayor Houchen met Linda McPartland, winner of The Care Show’s Carer of the Year 2018.
Linda took home the award at an event in Birmingham, after previously winning Carer of the Month in April last year.
She was nominated by Meadowvale Homecare’s manager Lisa Lonsdale, with the judges praising her for going “above and beyond” for her clients, bringing “patience and dedication” to the role.
During the visit, the Mayor also met Managing Director Andrew Jones and learned more about the business, which was set up in August 2015. Over three and a half years, it has grown to employ more than 90 staff, all from the borough, to deliver at-home care which allows their clients to remain living as independently as possible.
Mayor Houchen said: “Linda is a shining example of care workers across our region providing older people with the dignity we owe them, and attention they deserve.
“My job is very much focused on delivering the investment needed to drive jobs and growth, but Linda, and many like her, is on the ground going the extra mile to provide excellent person-centred care and support to her clients. I was delighted to hear she has been rightly recognised for all that she does.
“Organisations like Meadowvale are vital to making sure no one in the Tees Valley feels alone or left with no one to turn to. Whether they’re elderly, vulnerable or the relatives of those who need care but who may need a little extra support, people like Linda are helping to provide dignity and care to the most vulnerable, and providing reassurance to their friends and families.”
Carer of the Year winner Linda said: “Winning Carer of the Month in April was overwhelming and I was on cloud nine when I won. I’m so proud of what I have achieved.
“I work to the best of my ability and it was great to have the opportunity to speak to the Mayor to highlight what I, and all care workers everywhere, do on a daily basis. It’s important for everyone to understand the job we do and how much we give, and the Mayor certainly understood how much we give as part of our job.”
Andrew Jones said: “It was great to have the Mayor visit and see all of the hard work that we do – and it was even better that he got to meet Linda in person.
“We know we can’t give the quality of care that we do without excellent staff and Linda epitomises care workers, not just in our company but in and around the borough. The Mayor’s seen the best of what we offer and we’re looking forward to seeing how we can work together more closely in the future.”
