Home care boss is first recipient of new Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care award

The managing director of home care firm Abbots Care is the first recipient of the government’s new Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care award, for her ‘inspiring’ leadership efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Under Camille Leavold’s leadership, Abbots Care created ‘Covid’ teams of staff who helped people with Covid symptoms or a positive diagnosis of COVID-19 to recover in their own homes, while relieving pressure on overwhelmed NHS hospitals.

‘Kept our hospitals in Hertfordshire flowing’

Staff who volunteered to join these teams received advanced, intensive training in infection prevention and control from the local Clinical Commissioning Group.

Referring to the Covid teams, Camille Leavold, who is also co-founder of Abbots Care, told homecare.co.uk: “This essential service kept our hospitals in Hertfordshire flowing by making space for the deluge of patients being admitted to hospital with COVID.”

Camille is being recognised by the government for her ‘crucial’ leadership during the pandemic. Her efforts also included helping her staff climb the career ladder with the creation of a Leadership Academy in Abbots Care to help in-house ‘rising stars’ develop into managers.

'Sincerely delighted'

Ms Leavold said: “I am sincerely delighted and grateful to have received this award. I love working to help support society’s most vulnerable people by providing them with the support they need to remain living at home.

“I am also really thrilled that Deborah Sturdy, Chief Nurse for Adult Care and the Dept of Health and Social Care is working so hard to shine a light on, and bring recognition to, the valuable and vital work of the UK’s home care workforce.”

Camille Leavold has been awarded the gold award, which recognises outstanding achievements and performance demonstrated by a nurse or social care worker in their area of practice.

Abbots Care achieved an Outstanding rating from Care Quality Commission in March 2020.

Abbots Care supports no less than 1,000 people living in their own homes including people aged 65+, people with physically disabilities and those with learning disabilities and employs 500 home care workers.

Ms Leavold co-founded the home care company with her mother and sister in 1995.

On Abbots Care's website, Ms Leavold states: 'Throughout my childhood my Mum, Stephanie (co-founder of Abbots Care), worked with people with disabilities at a local NHS hospital for people with learning disabilities. We would often visit the hospital as children and take part in fetes and Christmas parties and learnt from a very young age that caring for, supporting and helping people with disabilities was a normal part of our lives.'

Helen Whately: 'Care workforce is full of inspiring leaders'

The new awards were launched by the government in May by the chief nurse for adult social care Professor Deborah Sturdy, as part of its aim to recognise the efforts of the social care workforce.

Minister for Care Helen Whately said: “I want to offer big congratulations to Camille, who is hugely deserving of this first award.

“The social care workforce is full of inspiring leaders, especially those who have helped and supported staff during one of the most challenging years the care sector has ever faced.

“I look forward to seeing more people recognised by Professor Sturdy for their exceptional efforts within the sector with our new Adult Social Care awards.”

Professor Deborah Sturdy, Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care, said: “I am thrilled to announce the first Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care award is going to someone who has put so much hard-work and dedication into developing a service to provide care for those who need it most.

“Camille continues to be an inspiring leader to all those around her and across the home care sector nationally, and has helped develop staff to become managers themselves thanks to her support and coaching.”

The Adult Social Care Awards are open to the whole care workforce from all settings (not just registered nurses) across all care settings, not only care homes.

The gold award recognises outstanding achievements and performance demonstrated by a nurse or social care worker in their area of practice. This may be clinical practice, education, research or leadership.

The silver award recognises performance that is above the expectations of the everyday role that the nurse or social care worker is expected to perform. It can be awarded to either an individual or a team.

The awards are made based on an application basis, with individuals awarded throughout the year. Nominations are considered by a panel of NHS and adult social care chief nursing officers and adult social care sector representatives.

If you would like to nominate someone for a gold award, applications forms, which should be supported by two signatories are available for gold awards here.

click here for more details or to contact Abbots Care Ltd