The Great British Care Awards — winners of this year’s award

We are so pleased to announce that Sonia our Head of Care has won the Home Care Registered Manager Award at The Great British Care Awards.
Sonia has been leading the ENA Hourly Care Team since 2017 and recently become Head of Care. She has been a great asset to our team, managing our hourly carers around Hertfordshire. She has brought a calm consistent and reliable managerial style and is highly deserving of this year’s Great British Care Award.

Sonia started her career in care as an hourly carer (domiciliary carer) and believes this has had a massive impact on her current role with us.
The experience she gained not only as a carer but in various training and management roles since she says, “Has given me a greater appreciation and understanding of how a carer thinks and feels, the responsibility attached to being a front-line care worker and how isolating their role can be.”

Moving on to managerial roles in domiciliary care agencies and recruiting staff for the NHS, Sonia has brought her experience in care to our own Care Team. At one point during her career, she managed a 63 bed residential care home, and so is accustomed to the challenges the care industry faces day to day. Her belief that everyone has the right to quality care, runs parallel to the ENA Care Group ethos and is why Sonia has thrived within our Head Office.

When asked what Sonia enjoys most about her role and which parts she finds most challenging, she says, “Every day is so different. You have to think on your feet but for me, my job satisfaction is guaranteed (most of the time). I wear so many hats during the day, manager, confidant, counsellor, trainer, peacekeeper, reassurer, investigator, ambassador, enabler and fighter for justice.”

Her advice to other care managers is true to the attitude she brings to our Head Office and when managing her own team of carers:
“Keep doing what you are doing, you are doing great! Remain impartial in times of doubt and make your own decisions, go with your gut instinct, it’s usually right. Remember your staff are only as good as the support you give, lead by example and stay calm, a glass of wine is only a few hours away.”

“This award was so unexpected, the care industry is so challenging at times but I love what I do and enjoy every day so this is just a little bit of frosting on the top that makes it even more special.”

In order to be entered into the Great British Care Awards requires a nomination from an external individual and we couldn’t be more proud of the recognition Sonia has received by winning ‘The Home Care Registered Manager Award’. Winners of the Regional awards are entered into the National Great British Care Awards which are held in February 2020. We look forward to the results in the new year and from everyone within the ENA Care Group, we wish Sonia the best of luck.