Julie and Tracey recognised for combined 68 years of service at Shropshire care home

A Shrewsbury care home has recognised two members of staff for their long service.

Radbrook Care Home has presented long-service awards to Julie Dodd and Tracey Steward to mark their long-standing dedication and commitment - with both celebrating more than three decades of service.

The presentation took place as part of Radbrook’s annual staff recognition awards, where staff members get the opportunity to nominate colleagues for a variety of awards, from ‘Heart of the Home’ to ‘Rising Star’ and even the ‘Calmest Under Pressure’ award.

Julie started working at Radbrook Nursing Home in 1991 as a care assistant, giving her a total length of service of nearly 36 years.

In this time, she has become a care supervisor as well as buddying with new staff and delivering expert safety training.

When asked to reflect on her time at Radbrook, Julie said: “Being able to grow and flourish at a home like Radbrook has been a real privilege. I have loved stepping into a role that allows me to nurture new staff, pass on my own training and experience and ensure Radbrook continues delivering the quality care we are known for.”

Tracey Steward has been delivering expert care at Radbrook for 32 years, starting as a care assistant in November 1994 and progressing to care supervisor and a buddy to guide new staff.

She said: “When you work somewhere for as long as I have at Radbrook, your workplace becomes your second home. The residents have become family, my colleagues have become friends, and the job almost feels like second nature now. At the heart of the job is caring for others and this is what motivates me in the harder moments that a job in social care can sometimes bring.”

Sarah Parker, home manager at Radbrook Care Home said: “We at Radbrook are incredibly lucky to have the exceptional team that we do but nothing is more encouraging than celebrating such a milestone as three decades of service with not one but two members of staff. Both Julie and Tracey have been instrumental in building this home into the welcoming, fun and safe environment that it is, and they truly embody everything that our home represents – compassion, kindness and dedication to our residents. We feel honoured to have had both Julie and Tracey on our team for this length of time and look forward to many more years to come.”