Jane’s ‘double’ gives care home cause for celebration

Senior Nursing Care Assistant, Jane Reynolds added the Palliative Care Award at the GB Care Awards South West to the Palliative, Day Service and Live-In Worker Award she won at the Care and Support West Awards at the start of October.

The judges said: “The way Jane talked about her job made me feel I would like her to be there if I had a loved one dying. She was so gentle, passionate and compassionate and looks after everyone, the dying person, their family and all the staff with the same gentle ease.”

A big hug and a naughty joke

Jane works at the St Monica Trust’s John Wills House care home in Westbury-on-Trym, whose leadership has been rated as ‘outstanding’ by Care Quality Commission inspectors.

John Wills House Care Home Manager, Wendy Leaman, said: “Jane’s work at Beeches One, our end of life unit, is second to none.

“She can quite literally find a solution to every problem and always with a smile on her face. The unit just wouldn’t be the same without her - she is simply irreplaceable.

“Jane is well-recognised as the go-to person for all staff, who at times, can struggle with the realities of looking after residents who are dying.

“Informally, she provides her own brand of comfort – which often involves a great big hug, a few tears and sometimes, a naughty joke!”

The inspiration for her career

Jane has worked for the St Monica Trust for twenty-six years and credits caring for her terminally ill mum as the inspiration for her career:

“I was working as a shop assistant when mum became ill and I knew nothing about people dying.

“There was no-one I could talk to or ask questions and I was left with the feeling that things could’ve been handled much better for mum and me.

“After she died, I knew that I wanted to care for people and that I could use what I’d experienced to help others.

“For me now, looking back, I think it’s because of mum that I am able do the job I love and I’ll be forever grateful to her.”

Promoting best practice

The Great South West Care Awards are part of the Great British Care Awards, a series of 9 regional awards celebrating excellence across the care sector.

The purpose of the awards is to promote best practice within both home care and care homes sectors, and pay tribute to those individuals who have demonstrated outstanding excellence within their field of work.

More than 400 people from across the whole of the south west attended a glittering awards ceremony at Ashton Gate Stadium, Bristol, on 25 October where the category winners were announced.

In winning her second award, Jane has qualified for the National GB Care Awards, which will be held at Birmingham’s ICC on 20 March, 2020.