HC-One’s Catering and Housekeeping Team and Vicky Meakin, Care Home Kitchen Manager at
Aspen Court Care Home in Derby have been shortlisted as finalists across a number of categories at the National Association of Care Catering Awards 2022.
The National Association of Care Catering Awards offer the chance for members to nominate the unsung heroes within their organisation and are committed to celebrating organisations, teams and individuals for the outstanding work and dedication they show to the sector.
The National Association of Care Catering Awards received a high volume of applications this year. HC-One’s Catering and Housekeeping Team, led by Mark Meacham have been shortlisted in the ‘Catering Team of the Year Award’ category, sponsored by EF Group, following being nominated by Michael Robson, Support Services Programme Director at HC-One, thanks to their teamwork; creativity and effectiveness; client satisfaction and good nutritional and hydration care.
The team have implemented a new initiative - Chef Development Days, led by HC-One in-house Development Chefs. Chefs and operational leads are provided with the opportunity to attend the in-house training sessions which include IDDSI, cost controls, dish development and much more. The sessions provide insight on why and how Residents’ lives can be improved through food which empowers Colleagues to be better chefs within the care industry.
Vicky has been shortlisted as a finalist in the ‘Catering Manager of the Year Award’ category, which is sponsored by Unilever Food Solutions, following being nominated by Oliver Clothier, Development Chef at HC-One, due to showing leadership and empowerment; originality and innovation; how she has offered operational improvements and benefits as well as how she has added value to Residents’ experience.
Examples include Vicky actively being involved in menu development by working closely with the HC-One Development Chefs to produce recipes and dishes based on her experiences and feedback from Residents; she engages and offers choice to Residents taking into consideration their personal preferences by holding regular meetings to identify their likes and dislikes, implementing these into taster sessions and runs regular support groups for Colleagues in the homes to deliver advice and guidance to teams on how to comply with policies, food presentation and delivering better quality food for Residents.
The National Association of Care Catering is hosting its prestigious annual awards ceremony with a black-tie dinner at the National Training and Development Forum at East Midlands Conference Centre in Nottingham on Thursday 6th October 2022, when finalists will be presented with a certificate, and the winners will be announced and receive a special trophy.
Hearing of the news of the HC-One Catering and Housekeeping Team and Vicky Meakin being shortlisted as finalists, Mark Meacham, Head of Catering and Housekeeping Support Services at HC-One, said:
“Being shortlisted as a finalist at these prestigious awards is testament to the team and Vicky’s dedication and expertise, even in the challenging circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. At HC-One we are committed to delivering the kindest possible care for Residents and providing good food forms a crucial part of this mission.”