Alison Edgar has been recognised as one of the leading homecare employees in Scotland at a prestigious evening awards ceremony celebrating the contribution of homecare staff before and during the Coronavirus pandemic.

The Learning and Development Manager at Baillieston Community Care won the Care Learning category at the Scottish Care Awards 2020. This award acknowledges the importance of continuous training and learning within care at home and housing support services.

Alison was announced as the winner of the Care Learning Award at an online Awards Ceremony hosted by presenter, columnist and Pop Idol winner, Michelle McManus on 9 October.

Alison was delighted to have been recognised and said:

“I am very surprised but thrilled and honoured to be chosen as a winner in these prestigious awards.”

David Reilly, CEO of Baillieston Community Care said:

“Alison has been working with Baillieston Community Care since 2015 and has held various positions including Support Worker, Team Leader and Learning & Development Officer. In December 2019 Alison was promoted to her current role as Learning & Development Manager. She has demonstrated her passion and commitment for the organisation in many ways and I feel proud of such an exceptional member of my team.”

Dr Donald Macaskill, the CEO of Scottish Care said:

“The homecare sector is one that is often ignored and rarely recognised, this has been especially true during the Covid-19 pandemic.

There are more people cared for and supported in our communities than in our care homes and hospitals combined. They are being supported to play their part as full citizens of their communities. It is a care and support that gives them independence and freedom, meaning and purpose, contribution and value.

The Care at Home and Housing Support Awards was therefore an important opportunity to recognise best practice and all the excellent work within the sector. It was an opportunity to say thank you and express our gratitude to all the individuals who make up the homecare workforce.

This year we received a record number of award nominations, which really highlights the large amount of quality work undertaken within this sector. We were honoured to hear the remarkable stories of the outstanding individuals and teams from across the country. Their professionalism and dedication are truly the backbone of the care at home and housing support sector. All our finalists and winners deserve to be recognised, huge congratulations and thank you once again.”

The awards have been hailed a huge success in recognising individuals, teams and companies, who are delivering care at an incredibly high standard in an era of challenging budgets and within an increasingly demanding work environment.