The January votes have been counted, and we can now say a hearty well done to the six Westward Care staff members who have joined the Employee of the Month club!

Chelsea Land was named January's Employee of the Month for The Cedars, with voters mentioning her dedication, "naturally caring" nature and her ability to "[work] well with a lot of pressures”.

Activities Coordinator Elkie Robson was given the honour of Employee of the Month for Headingley Hall. Voters for Elkie praised her for “consistently creating an amazing activity programme which is fun and inspiring”, and for being "extremely passionate about how her role can make the lives of residents as fun and entertaining as possible”.

Headingley Apartments Housekeeper Debbie Thomas received some lovely comments, too. Debbie was named the Apartments' January Employee of the Month for always working "exceptionally hard", so that "nothing is ever too much trouble."

Pennington Court's Employee of the Month, Gabriel Donkor, was said by one voter to "[excel] as a team leader, fostering a collaborative environment that encourages teamwork and support among staff members. His positive attitude has a significant impact on both residents and colleagues."

Southlands Administrator Crystal Chan won her Employee of the Month certificate for going "over and above to ensure that systems are in place and effective", and for being "a big support to the staff team and the residents.” One voter for Crystal even wrote that she "keeps Southlands running, always knowing what's happening and when."

Last but not least, Deniece Callaghan was named Employee of the Month at Hunslet Moor House for her commitment, and for the fact that she "always comes up with solutions rather than with the problem”.

Multiple staff members received nominations for Employee of the Month in January, including: Victoria Pickersgill at Hunslet Moor House; Elizabeth Tonon Pina, Angela Schofield, Fatameh Pirsalami, Tania Preston and Jeannette Marcellus at Headingley Hall; and Leonie Hayford, Netty Doherty and George Onwe at Pennington Court.

Congratulations to everyone mentioned above, and a big thank you to all Westward Care staff, who work so hard to keep our services running to such a high standard.