Norfolk carer makes it a hat trick of awards

A member of staff at a West Norfolk home care company has received an award for Going the Extra Mile - for the third time.

Carer Kate Davis works from the Horsham St Faith office of Extra Hands Home Care and has been with the company for nearly 14 years.

She first won a GEM award in 2021, was a winner again in September 2023 and now she has a new-look trophy to mark her success in the March awards for 2024.

Winning the award was emotional for Kate as the nomination came from the family of a man who she was with when he passed away.

“I was very emotional when I was told, I cried,” she said.

“I was pleased and shocked as well, but the family who nominated me were lovely to do it,” she added.

Aside from her regular caring duties, Kate is also a Rapid Responder for Extra Hands and covers rounds and visits of anyone who goes off sick.

“It’s nice to still learn new things and I do a bit of office work as well, there are the first meetings and reviews which is part of it,” she said.

The award-winning company has been running for more than 30 years and provides a variety of home care packages across the county.

When Kate won previously, in December 2021, the pandemic was very much with us and the month saw compulsory masks in public and a Covid Pass needed in some settings under the Plan B measures which came with the Omicron variant.

It was a tough time for carers, and for service users who didn’t see much of their families or the outside world because of restrictions.

“I think it affected many of our service users as they weren’t seeing many people and they didn’t get out, so a lot were lonely,” she said.

With a partner, two adult children and a dog at her home in Foxley, near Bawdeswell, Kate has plenty going on and says she still loves her job.

The winner of the Heacham office award is Susan Livick-Smith who was nominated by a colleague for her empathy and compassion.​