October Shout Outs recognising everyday moments
Ash Akhtar, Head of Culture, Wellbeing and Comms (Club Director)
In this October’s Shout Outs, read about James, who spent three hours keeping someone safe through the early hours. About the Rose Cottage team, who took residents to the Science Museum entirely on their own initiative. About Charlene, who’s celebrating five years with Wellgate.
About Amanda, Sophie and Terry, whose services are already building real links with their local communities. About Robyn, Rita and Paige, who’ve each taken to new roles brilliantly. And a warm welcome to our newest colleagues.
Amanda Loughlin, Sophie Harrison and Terry Loftus: Shout Out by Millie Powell, Head of Marketing
In September, we launched the Community Incentives Initiative across our supported living services, and it’s been fantastic to see the response so far.
All our managers have been forthcoming with ideas and receptive to the initiative, which is brilliant. A special shout out goes to Amanda, Sophie and Terry, who already have some fantastic community initiatives in place. These include volunteering and community involvement with:
A local community hub
A local garden centre
A charity shop
The local Salvation Army
Local radio
A local mental health community team
These are great examples of how our services are already supporting people to build meaningful connections and get involved in their local communities. A huge well done to Amanda, Sophie and Terry!
James Jerome Martey: Shout Out by Jenna Rowbotham, Service Manager, Brickyard Court and The Grafton
A person we support left the service because she was feeling unsafe. James searched for her and brought her to safety. He spent three hours reassuring her, listening to her concerns, and simply being a positive support. He stayed with her through the early hours of the morning to make sure she remained safe, and then supported her safely back to the service.
Charlene Tebutt: Shout Out by Sophie Harrison, Service Manager, The Old Printers
We’re celebrating five years of Charlene with the company. She joined on 25 October 2021. She’s a fantastic member of the team, works well with the people we support, and is a friendly face for new staff, showing them the ropes. I even shadowed Charlene when I joined the company, and I remember her being very knowledgeable, patient and approachable.
Louiza Franks, Linda Collins, Mike McGuire, Andy Grean and Ian Shoebridge: Shout Out by Sandra Kubiliene, Registered Manager, Rose Cottage
I’d like to give a special shout out and extend my sincere thanks to Louiza Franks, Linda Collins, Mike McGuire, Andy Grean and Ian Shoebridge for going the extra mile to organise and take our residents from Rose Cottage to the Science Museum in London, fulfilling a request made by the residents themselves.
The team took the initiative to organise this wonderful outing independently, without any input from me, which shows outstanding teamwork. Their commitment, enthusiasm, and willingness to make things happen created a memorable and special day for our residents, and showed how much we can achieve when we work together with a shared purpose.
Moments like these remind me that it’s all about teamwork, believing in what we can achieve together, and never giving up on opportunities to enrich our residents’ lives. Thank you all for your fantastic efforts and for making a real difference! Photos from the day will feature in our October newsletter.
Kishore Kumar, plus a welcome to our new starters: Shout Out by Craig Roettig, Deputy Manager, Lime Lodge
For our shout out for The Limes and Lime Lodge, we’d like to nominate Kishore. He’s often had to attend the hospital for unexpected visits, and he’s taken it all in his stride without complaint, even when he’s had to stay extremely late. He also supported a resident to visit family in Cleethorpes and didn’t finish his shift until the early hours of the morning. Not once did he complain.
I’d also like to give a warm welcome and shout out to our new staff members: Tamara, Ben, Tyler, Georgia and Lauren.
Robyn Berry: Shout Out by Rebecca Lee, Team Leader, Brickyard Court, and Jenna Rowbotham, Service Manager, Brickyard Court & The Grafton
From Rebecca: I’d like to shout out Robyn Berry, the new Team Leader at The Grafton. She’s brought fresh ideas to the home, and when the people we support visit Brickyard, they truly sing her praises. Robyn is full of life and has such a bright character that it’s a pleasure to work with her. She’s taken to her new role so well.
From Jenna: Robyn has been newly appointed as Team Leader, and I’ve received positive feedback from two people we support. One said she’s very approachable and that he can see positive changes coming to The Grafton. Another said he really appreciates what she’s doing to get his one-to-one hours back. She’s worked closely with him to put a plan in place so he gets the support he deserves.
Rita Edobar: Shout Out by Amanda Loughlin, Service manager, Vale House
Anastasia and I would like to nominate Rita Edobar. Rita has been with Vale House since 17 June 2024, and in that time she’s built good working relationships with the people we support and with colleagues. She’s our newly nominated meds champion, which means overseeing medication ordering, weekly audits and resolving any discrepancies. Rita has taken to the role so well and is doing a fantastic job. Well done, Rita, you’re amazing!
Paige Broome: Shout Out by Beth Lorito, Deputy Manager, Tristford House
I’d like to give a shout out to Paige Broome at Tristford House. She started with us with no experience in care, and she’s shown me time and time again her natural ability to care and advocate for the people we support. She genuinely cares for the guys at Tristford, and nothing is ever too much for her.
When there’s less to do, she’ll start cleaning areas that need it. When she supports someone to appointments, she supports them so well and tries to be their voice, even when professionals don’t want to listen. Paige isn’t scared of sharing her opinions with professionals, and they’re always spot on for what the person needs to be heard. I’m very proud to have a carer this dedicated to supporting our guys at Tristford House.
Anisha Tamang and Muhammad Talha Javed: Shout Out by Nicola Foley, Team Leader, Sandgate Manor
Anisha Tamang is a great, valued member of my team. She makes our shifts run smoothly and I can always rely on her.
Muhammad Talha Javed is a wonderful member of my team. He’s always got a smile on his face and is always willing to give a helping hand to anyone who asks!
Natalie NG and Yubak Rai: Shout Out by Donna Ribeiro, Deputy Manager, Sandgate Manor
Shout out to Natalie! She’s done so well with the move to a bigger home. Her confidence has grown so much, and it really shows. It’s lovely to see her settle in and keep making such positive progress. Well done, Natalie! 👏
Shout out to Yubak! He’s always willing to help out with shifts, going above and beyond by stepping in to support the day team, even at short notice. Thank you for your patience and flexibility while we work towards your move to days; it’s truly appreciated! 👏
Jodie Baker: Shout Out by Terry Searson, Deputy Manager, The Lodge & Buttercup Close
I’d really like to nominate Jodie Baker for a shout out. She goes above and beyond and has really taken on her role as Club Rep. I know she’s been nominated before, but I seriously think she’s amazing.
Jodie always drops things and comes in when needed. She comes in at 7am to help the night staff when they need to leave early for childcare. She’s also worked with the tenants to create little envelopes for each staff member, each with a quote from a tenant as a special note to say how awesome they are. We think Jodie is awesome!
Dee Williams: Shout Out by Emily Moore, HR Advisor
I’d like to shout out Dee Williams, Team Leader at The Old Printers. She’s been supporting me recently with something she’s never done before, and she’s taken a tricky situation in her stride, doing what she can to help. She’s even come in on her day off to support me. Her stepping up is really appreciated!
Why do we do this every month?
A shout out is a small action on its own. But when we do enough of them, they build something bigger: a culture where people feel appreciated and like they belong, not just employed. Recognition makes sure none of that goes unseen.
Remember, you don’t need to be a manager to notice something brilliant. If you’re proud of a teammate, a deputy manager, a team leader, someone in head office, your head of operations, someone in HR or marketing, or a Club Rep who’s gone above and beyond, email ash.akhtar@clubwellgate.com with who, what they did, and why it mattered. We’ll take it from there.