Knutsford care home team member shortlisted for national award

A team member at a care home in Knutsford is celebrating after being shortlisted for a prestigious national award.

Louise Burrows, Activities Coordinator at Care UK’s Cranford Grange, on Hall Lane, has been shortlisted for the Care Activities Coordinator award at this year’s National Care Awards 2024, which honour the very best working in the care sector.

Since joining the Cranford Grange team in May 2020, Louise has shown her creativity and dedication to developing person-centred activities that enrich the lives of residents. Judges applauded Louise’s ability to tailor activities to individual preferences, ensuring residents have meaningful opportunities that reflect their interests and hobbies.

One example of Louise’s unique approach is her focus on animal therapy, where she has established a partnership with Cheshire Dogs Home, allowing residents to visit the dogs and take part in their care and journey to adoption. The effectiveness of pet therapy for people living with dementia is also the topic of a piece of research she is currently working on as part of her own professional development.

Louise’s proactive approach extends to introducing activities based on resident's suggestions, which has recently included residents enjoying French conversation classes, IT lessons to connect with loved ones via WhatsApp and FaceTime, and even ballet and yoga sessions to support physical well-being. 

Commenting on the activities, a relative of one of the residents at Cranford Grange said: “The activity rooms provide extensive communal space, and there is an impressive range of daily social activities and events which residents are encouraged to participate in.”

In addition to her work with residents, Louise actively involves families in the home’s activities programme, encouraging relatives to participate and contribute their ideas. Recently, this involved organising a tree swing in the garden after a request from a resident. Louise is also committed to supporting residents’ spiritual needs, creating opportunities for worship and celebrating cultural events, from Christmas to Eid and Hanukkah.

Commenting on her shortlisting, Louise said: “I’m thrilled to be shortlisted for this award and proud to represent Cranford Grange. It’s an honour to work with such wonderful residents and a supportive team who help bring our activities to life. My goal is always to ensure that everyone feels involved, valued, and most importantly, happy. It’s incredibly rewarding to see the difference these activities make in residents' lives, and I look forward to celebrating at the awards later this year. 

Lisa Burrows, General Manager at Cranford Grange, said: “We are incredibly proud of Louise for being shortlisted for this award. Her passion and commitment to making a real difference to the lives of the residents at Cranford Grange is truly inspiring. Louise goes above and beyond to ensure that every activity is enjoyable, meaningful and tailored to the individual. This recognition is well deserved, and we are all rooting for her!”

Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence, Cranford Grange, which remains open to potential residents, incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities. The home has been configured into a series of neighbourhoods to help facilitate the creation of close-knit communities and encourage social interaction among the residents.