Dedicated care home manager celebrates 20 years with Shaw healthcare

Residents and staff at a Dorset residential home helped a dedicated care home manager celebrate 20 years with Shaw healthcare by throwing a party in her honour.

Mel Bennett, 42, started working at Glebe House, in Southbourne, as a care support worker in 1993, before working her way up to manager in 2008.

Around 60 people attended the party, including former manager Penny Atherton, who held the role for 25 years and hired Ms Bennett.

Alun Thomas, chairman of Shaw healthcare, also joined in with the celebrations and presented the guest of honour with a certificate to mark her achievement. Thanking Ms Bennett for her dedication, he said: “It was a pleasure to come and visit Mel on this very special occasion. I’d just like to thank her for all her hard work and for helping make Glebe House such an integral part of the community. Here’s to the next 20 years.”

Speaking about her time at the home, which cares for up to 40 residents, Ms Bennett said: “I am a life-long Southbourne resident and Glebe House has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. As a child, we would visit the home with the school choir to sing at Christmas and harvest festivals, and it always seemed such a happy environment.

“I originally wanted to work here because a lot of my friends already had jobs here but now I can’t imagine working anywhere else.

“I absolutely love my job and care deeply for every single one of the residents. Knowing that they are happy and cared for so efficiently is essential, and I have a great time of staff behind me who I know are dedicated and committed to their work. We won the Investor in People award in 2008 for our work as a team and I know I wouldn’t be able to do my job if it wasn’t for their dedication.”