This week is a busy week for us as the team deliver Christmas presents to the people we care for and the care professionals working with them.
The growth of the service this year means the Care First 24 elves have had a huge job as we have grown by 105% in 2024 and continue to grow week by week.
We must thank every person who we care for, Thank you for letting us be part of your care journey and we commit to do all we can to help you live the best life possible.
For those we have cared for in 2024 who ended their journey, we thank you for letting us care for you and we will as always light the remembrance candle on Christmas Eve for you, our Christmas tree has a bauble commemorating you.
I know as a company we are as only as good as the team who work so hard to deliver the best possible care. I am so proud of every member of our care team. Your dedication and hard work in putting Care First always, is a credit to yourselves and a testament to your unwavering professionalism.
As a tribute to this we have won several Awards this year and were finalists in many more:-
HCA
Best Home Care Start up 2024
Stars of Social Care
Best Front-line Leader award -for Becky Burke
KICA Awards
Social Care Nursing Award for 2024 -Jody Lewis
Community Manager Award 2024
Kent Business awards
Best wellbeing Award for the Totus team at Care First 24
Lynn James-Welling was awarded “The Gold Award for outstanding services to social care”, awarded by the Chief Nursing Officer for Social care, Deborah Sturdy, which Lynn said she was truly grateful for and humbled by.
I also want to say thank you to my amazing Senior Management team and office teams. I am honoured to work with you and am amazed daily by your talent and dedication to Care First 24.
We gained NHS framework supplier status and were awarded many contracts this year. We now work with over 25 separate commissioners such as ICBs, CCNT’s, Local Authorities and case managers. We thank them all for choosing to work with us.
We had our first Nurse, Nicole Halliday, qualify through our apprenticeship scheme and next year Holly James will also qualify with us; beyond proud of these two who did so well especially with such a challenging course.
We put the well-being of the people we care for and our care teams at the centre of all we do. TOTUS, our psychology team have made such a remarkable difference to everyone they have supported, having such a positive effect on everyday lives.
Our annual staffing turnover rate is now below 5%, when the national average in care is so much higher. I am exceptionally proud of this.
We appreciate, support, pay well and offer excellent training opportunities and apprenticeships and listen to our staff. If we don’t care for them, how can we care for the people who choose to have their care journey with us.
We have been involved in lots of working groups and projects this year and continue to support the wider care community at such a vital time.
I am always amazed at the amount of exceptionally talented and dedicated people in social care and never more so than this year, a year where social care has been stretched to the limit.
Despite the regulator presenting us with many challenges, devasting budget blows and a challenging health environment, we, the care sector, continue to move forward.
To every registered manager, lead nurse, commissioner, business owner, care professional, let’s shout about the amazing work we do in 2025.
We have so many other companies supporting us; to everyone who helps us in the growth of the company, I Thank you!
The plan for next year is a simple one of putting ‘Care First’ and remembering, every day, the service we supply makes a real difference.
I hope next year brings you all Health and Happiness and that social care finally gets recognised for all it does.
Have an amazing Christmas everyone,
Lynn James-Wellings
Thank you for reading this blog and if you would like more information about our services, please get in touch with Care First 24 Ltd on 01732 790001, or email [email protected]