A care home manager with a heart of gold has won a national award for being “an inspiration” to her staff.
Cindy Clutton, manager of the Gwern Alyn Care Home, in Percy Road, Wrexham, said she was thrilled to win the accolade.
The training organisation, A4e, presented her with a special certificate for the Promotion of Lifelong Learning at Gwern Alyn.
The presentation took place during a ceremony at Glyndwr University.
It was recognition of dedication and commitment demonstrated to completing her own learning programme and encouraging her staff to undertake learning.
According to Cindy, 43, caring is in her DNA, Thirty years ago, while she was 15 and still at school, Cindy started work during school holidays and weekends helping in the kitchen of Nazareth House, where her mother was a carer.
On leaving school at 16 she started work in the local authority field and 10 years ago moved to work in Gwern Alyn House in Percy Road. Gwern Alyn is next door to Nazareth House – now known as Hillbury – and both homes are part of the Pendine Park care organisation..
Cindy was also honoured at the 2010 Wales Care Awards organised by Care Forum Wales.
The awards are designed to highlight good practice in the caring profession, and Cindy won a Silver Award in the category for Leadership and Management in Residential Care.
Her nomination was supported by relatives of some of the residents and by colleagues who wrote of the encouragement Cindy provided and her willingness to take on all tasks herself.
“She makes us feel extremely proud of our profession and to be care practitioners making a difference to people’s lives,” said Deputy Manager Diane Smith.
Cindy, whose husband Gareth is a maintenance worker at Pendine Park, says she loves her job.
She said: “I enjoy caring for people, it’s rewarding and it gives me an immense amount of satisfaction, with the staff as well as with the residents. It’s great to see them develop and progress within the company.”
Cindy is also an enthusiastic charity fund-raiser and over the past three years has amassed more than £4,000, for various charities, much of it in aid of breast cancer.
She added: “It’s something that is very close to my heart. We have had residents who have suffered from breast cancer – as well as colleagues and friends. I have lost members of my family through cancer.
“This year I have signed up to do the Race for Life with Tesco. I’m doing the 5k run in May at Alyn Waters in Wrexham with my daughter, Rebecca, who’s 13.
“I’m always up for a challenge but it is something I am passionate about. At the end of the day, you don’t know what’s around the corner – it could affect me or my daughter later in life.
“Raising awareness is just as important as raising money because if you catch it in time recovery rates are very good.”
Mario Kreft, the proprietor of Pendine Park, said: “This latest honour is very well deserved. Cindy has a heart of gold and is an inspiration to her staff, instilling the importance ensuring dignity and respect.”
