Two care workers from Bluebird Care Richmond & Twickenham have been recognised for their quality of care at the Richmond Council Community Heroes Awards.

At this year’s awards, winner Tess Gough, was Highly Commended for the Council Dignity in Care award, in her eighth consecutive nomination. Also recognised at this year’s awards was Paula Humphreys, a Bluebird Care Care Assistant, who has been nominated for five consecutive years.

Paula’s award was doubly exciting as her son, William Cole, won the Young Persons Achievement award for his work campaigning for the rights of young people, specifically, for care leavers across the borough.

Tess has been with Bluebird Care Richmond and Twickenham for eight years, was the overall winner last year and has been nominated every year since the inception of the awards. Similarly, Paula has been with the home care provider for six years and has been nominated for the past five years.

The Dignity in Care awards are an annual event in Richmond, sponsored by Richmond Council. The council requests people receiving support to nominate carers who they think ‘go the extra mile’, raise awareness of dignity in care and make a difference to people’s lives. An independent judging panel chooses the finalists and winners.

Tess, a Care Assistant at Bluebird Care Richmond & Twickenham, said: “I am so honoured to have been nominated and received recognition for my work at Bluebird Care. I really love my job, being a carer is so rewarding and makes me feel like I am doing something worthwhile every day.”

Paula, also a Care Assistant at Bluebird Care Richmond & Twickenham, said: “The Heroes Awards are such a wonderful way of recognising all the hard work that goes on in the local community and I really admire all the wonderful work that these awards highlight. I am so proud of my son too, he is such an inspiration and his hard work has done so much good for other young people.”

Maria Leonard, Director of Bluebird Care Richmond & Twickenham, said: “Congratulations to Tess, Paul and William. All three are exceptional individuals and I thoroughly believe they deserve all this recognition and more. These awards are right at the heart of what Bluebird Care Richmond & Twickenham are trying to achieve; we want to help those who need care the most and ensure that that care is the very best it can be.”