Alison Bedford of Peregrine House in Whitby has won the coveted title of Care Home Registered Manager of the Year at the national finals of the Great British Care Awards.
Alison Bedford, Care Home Registered Manager of the Year
The awards are the industry’s most prestigious showcase for the otherwise largely unsung heroes of the care profession. The glittering ceremony, hosted by celebrity dancer Anton du Beke, was held at Grosvenor House in London on Saturday 20th April.
From over 18000 care homes in the UK, Alison excelled against eight other regional finalists to impress an interview panel of judges in March to clinch the award. She was overwhelmed at the ceremony when she was declared the winner.
“Although it is a great personal achievement for me it is a pleasure to accept the award for the whole team at Peregrine House, they all work extremely hard and I couldn’t have done it without their continued support”, said Alison.
Owner of Peregrine House, Dr. Kevin O’Sullivan, has nurtured Alison’s progress since she joined his team 1999. Beginning work in the kitchen, she worked her way up through the home, training on the job and mastering each role to become Manager in 2003. Her exceptional caring and organisational skills have helped to earn Peregrine House its own string of accolades; an Investors in People GOLD Award, Investors in People Champion, Excellent and Three Star rating from the Care Quality Commission and is a Dignity in Care Champion.
When asked what is the secret of her success he said ”As Manager, Alison is utterly dedicated to guaranteeing the residents of Peregrine House are happy and well cared for. She instigated the home’s philosophy of care, which is to treat the residents in the same way that they would look after the most loved member of their own family. She ensures the whole team has the training and resources to achieve this objective consistently and to a particularly high standard. We are absolutely delighted that she has won the award; she deserves it for her complete dedication, integrity and inspiring leadership.”