Wigan care home boss nominated for national award for pandemic effort

Katy Grindley, deputy manager of Millennium Care’s Worthington Lake care home in Standish has been shortlisted in the Social Care Covid Hero category in the Great British Care Awards.

It means she will be invited to a glamorous event at the House of Lords on July 5, which is NHS, Social Care and Frontline Workers’ Day.

The reception will recognise and celebrate inspirational frontline care and support workers who have gone above and beyond during the Covid-19 pandemic, demonstrating incredible acts of bravery and resilience.

Having been promoted to house lead in October 2019, Katy was thrown into dealing with lockdown when the pandemic struck in 2020.;

She put her own life on hold to manage the home, staff and residents, ensuring the safety of all.

She quickly segregated sections of the home, divided the residents coming from the hospitals and took all necessary steps to implement and enforce infection prevention controls.

As more staff were forced to isolate, despite the intense pressures, Katy kept staff morale high, rewarding them with special meals and bringing in treats from home.

She said: “I feel so honoured to be nominated and shortlisted as a finalist, to be invited to the House of Lords is a real privilege.

“I’m humbled at being given this recognition because, even though I worked so hard to keep the residents and staff safe and supported, to me I was just doing the job I love.

“I have to say a massive thank you to the team at Worthington Lake, I couldn’t have got through that period without the support they gave me.

“I’ve never been recognised for my work before and to be acknowledged in this way is just amazing.

“I have always and will always strive to deliver the best care I can give with dignity, passion, compassion and love.”

Katy’s nomination for the award came to the delight of residents and their relatives.

Michelle Broderick, the daughter of one of the residents at Worthington Lake, said: “I am absolutely delighted for Katy, over the moon. It couldn’t happen to a lovelier person, she always gives 110 per cent and more to her residents.”

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