Strawberry Fields colleague wins ‘Support Worker of the Year’ award
Krystal Matthews, who is a Support Worker at local residential service, Strawberry Fields, in Wick near Littlehampton, has won a top award this week at the Caring Homes Group Recognition Awards.
With over 5,500 employees across the group the home beat off stiff competition to be recognised with an award as ‘Support Worker of the Year’ in Consensus, as part of the Caring Homes Group. The awards were presented at a glittering ceremony hosted within the Grove Hotel in Watford and presented by Ronan Keating.
Following a review of over 3,000 nominations received from colleagues and people supported for the awards, Krystal was felt to be a deserving winner.
Krystal, just 29, with five young children, joined the service with little experience but her values and willingness to learn has been extraordinary. Sacrificing time with her young family, Krystal recently led a successful move for a person wishing to live at the service by working very closely with him and key family and professionals. This involved periods away from home, getting to know the individual and building a positive relationship ensuring a smooth and stress free move. She has been highly praised for her work with the person and the support team. She has been described by her colleagues as ‘A natural born carer’.
Strawberry Fields is a welcoming, friendly residential service supporting ten individuals with learning disabilities and complex needs. People supported are encouraged to develop new skills which promote their increased independence and experience new opportunities in pursuit of their own ambitions and goals.
Attended by over 340 guests the evening was a great occasion, with colleagues and business partners coming together to celebrate the very best care and support provided by outstanding people.
Paul Jeffery, CEO, Caring Homes Group stated;
“The Recognition Awards 2017, provided an opportunity to showcase talent, dedication and commitment, as well as demonstrate the crucial role our professionals play in caring for some of the most vulnerable people in our society.
It’s very important that we celebrate success, from the finalists nominated, to the thousands of our colleagues’ making a significant contribution to caring for and supporting people all over the UK.”
The event was generously sponsored by Caring Homes Group’s business partners, who together made the event possible