Hales Heroes – One Year On

In 2017, we launched the Hales Heroes award programme in order to incentivise existing staff to continue their hard work, encourage improvements and reward those who go above and beyond their call of duty.

The awards have been a great way of highlighting the incredible service care workers provide, which is so important to vulnerable people across the UK, and thanking them for being committed, reliable and caring in the work that they do.

The industry as we know it

Over 850,000 people receive support in their own home and these numbers are increasing. What’s more, the care industry continually faces scrutiny and with the recent closure of one major care company, the demand for skilled care workers has further increased. As Age UK’s charity director Caroline Abrahams said, “Care in England is in an awful mess and we can’t go on as we are.”

These are some of the reasons Hales Homecare launched Hales Heroes. We want to lead the way towards a better future, where staff encourage one another and care about the service they provide. The awards are also a way of improving the industry’s image, showing that where companies support and reward staff it improves outcomes for customers.

A skilled workforce

We are committed to improving and helping to transform the care industry, demonstrating that social care and home care can be a career choice rather than simply being seen as a job. Only by supporting our workforce, rewarding them well for the work that they do and recognising the challenges they face will the homecare industry be able to raise the profile of care workers and encourage more people into the profession.

The industry requires skilled workers, people who genuinely care about their work and those around them. People who can bring about change and innovation.

Hales Heroes

The Hales Heroes award was introduced to recognise the work our team of care workers do every day. Qualifying care staff who meet the criteria, which focuses on reliability, quality and professional competence, are entered into a monthly draw with the opportunity of winning £1,000 and being hailed as a Hales Hero.

One year on and we have recognised nearly 2500 care workers who qualified for the draws that took place each month throughout 2018. They received an Award of Excellence and Silver Pin to wear with pride. There have been 13 Hales Heroes winners of the £1000 prize and 32 Gold Award winners, who’ve demonstrated continual excellence over a 6 month period.

Pam Mackin, a care worker from Grimsby who won the Hales Hero award commented, “I have been an employee of Hales for three years and have worked in care for 14 years. I was shocked to be informed I had won the prize. It makes me feel appreciated and valued. The Hales Heroes is a good incentive to encourage everyone to follow the right processes which improve the quality of care we give to our service users.”

Alina Pop, from Stevenage who also won the Hales Hero award commented, “My son is currently undertaking exams, so I’m planning on buying him a moped as a surprise for all his hard work!”

We are committed to supporting our workforce, rewarding them well for the work they do and recognising the challenges they face. Through the Hales Hero award, we have been able to raise the profile of care workers and provide evidence to those considering joining the profession of the value the role gives in their communities.

We’d like to thank all of our staff for their dedication to the profession and their hard work. We’ll continue to recognise staff and provide Hales Home Care workers with the opportunity to be hailed as a Hales Hero throughout 2019.

2018 Hales Heroes Draw Winners

• Lesley Perkins
• Jackie Amey
• Natalie Gibson
• Beverley Knight
• Rebecca Worrall
• Alina Pop
• Zuzana Stulova
• Karen Wigglesworth
• Andrea Mitchell
• Sandra Bensly
• Pam Mackin
• Charlotte Parker
• Linda Firth