Islington carers celebrated at Dignity in Care awards

The awards, at Islington Assembly Hall, demonstrated the quality of care and support provided by carers across the borough to help our residents retain their dignity, stay independent and do more of the things they want. 

Carers who won awards and were highly commended include:

• Maria Yianni, Winner for Volunteer of the Year
• Jan Billington, Winner for Social Worker of the Year
• Ranjan Fisher, Winner for Family Carer of the Year
• Alyson Ruddick and Melanie Davis, Joint winners for Outstanding Achievement Award
• Vicki Cornish, Winner for Nurse of the Year
• Ruth Quaye, Highly Commended for Nurse of the Year
• Marian Howell, Winner for Heart of the Community
• King Henry’s Walk, Winner (service) for Heart of the Community
• Bridgeside Lodge, Winner (service) for Outstanding Collaboration
• Healthwatch Islington, Highly Commended (service) for Outstanding Collaboration
• Jessie Hall, Winner for Carer of the Year (Shared Lives)
• Fardowsa Abdinasir and Clare Falconer, Joint winners for Carer of the Year (Domiciliary care or reablement)
• Sarah Nakato, Highly Commended for Carer of the Year (Domiciliary care or reablement)
• Mojisola Funsho, Winner for Carer of the Year (residential/nursing care/extra care)
• Heather Miller and Sharon Sam, Highly Commended for Carer of the Year (residential/nursing care/extra care)
• Inara Armane, Winner for Carer of the Year (supported living)
• Doreen Gowie and Ahad Kaidoo, Highly Commended for Carer of the Year (supported living)

Many nominations came from service users and their families, who shared the difference carers have made to helping them live the lives they want.

Volunteer of the Year Maria Yianni, who supports at Outcome, the LGBTIQ+ service for Islington Mind, said: ”I didn’t expect to win the award. To get a nomination was enough of a surprise to be honest. I was really overwhelmed, and I'm honoured to be part of Outcome and the amazing work they do. People often say they have no words to describe how they feel and that is definitely the case for me."​

Cllr Nurullah Turan, Executive Member for Health and Social Care, said: “We’re working for a more equal future, where our residents can live independent and healthy lives, and our amazing carers play a vital role in this every day.

“The pandemic really shone a light on the value and importance of our care sector. We’re so pleased to have these awards back to celebrate the enormous contribution our staff and volunteers make to our community and the everyday lives of some of our most vulnerable residents, especially over the last three years.”

The judging panel, which included Cllr Turan, Director of Adult Social Care, John Everson, and members of the Adult Social Care Challenging Inequalities Champions group, chose 14 winners along with seven highly commended, in eleven categories from more than 70 nominations. Around 130 attendees at the event, held on 17 October, were treated to entertainment organised by Key Changes, a national charity, established in Islington, which promotes positive health and wellbeing through music.

Cllr Turan said: “The awards evening was such an exciting night. It was an absolutely privilege and honour to be part of the judging panel; to read such wonderful stories about the carers in our borough, to meet some of our nominees, and to thank them for their dedication to care.

“The panel had a really tricky job of choosing winners across the eleven categories, but everyone who was nominated should be extremely proud of the difference they are making to our resident’s lives every day.”