If working full-time and looking after two young children was not enough, Beverley Millington is happy to go out working in her ‘spare’ time looking after others.
Bev works full-time as a medical secretary in Wrexham Maelor Hospital for the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, a job she loves.
But it is her part-time job as a care practitioner with Pendine Park Independent Living, the arm of the Wrexham-based care organisation which provides care for those who need help to remain in their own homes, which has earned her a place as a finalist in the care profession’s most prestigious awards.
She has been nominated in the supported living care practitioner category, which is sponsored jointly by ACT and Smartcare.
The Wales Care Awards recognises the unsung heroes by rewarding the best in the caring professions. October 21 at Cardiff City Hall is the profession’s “Oscars” night staged in association with Care Forum Wales, the organisation which represents more than 500 care homes and independent care sector organisations.
It was looking after her grandparents which sparked Beverley’s interest in the care profession.
“I always looked after my nan and granddad and when nan fell ill she went into a home. She always said I should have been a nurse but by then I had a mortgage and it required a big commitment and I could not afford to re-train, so I went to do this part-time and I loved it,” said Bev, who lives in Coedpoeth near Wrexham.
She studied at Yale College to be a medical secretary and has been with the hospital for 14 years. But she has also been working for Pendine Park Independent Living since May 2009, working two nights a week from 5pm until 10.30pm and at least one Saturday morning – sometimes she will work even more hours, helping to fill in when people are off.
That means she works 37.5 hours a week as a secretary and 15-16 hours a week as a carer. With children Harri (corr), five, and Kia, 10, it’s demanding. “People ask me how I manage and I don’t know really, I just carry on.” Fortunately husband Lee works factory shifts which mean he can help out and Beverley’s mum also lends a hand.
“I help look after anyone over the age of 18 and in an evening I get anything up to eight calls. It can involve a medication check, making cups of tea, welfare check, putting someone to bed, administering personal care,” she said.
Although she has given up her own time to study and acquire NVQ2 in health and social care and is about to be registered with Care Council Wales, Bev wants to continue with both jobs.
“I’m lucky, I’m not one of those people who do not like going to work, I love both my jobs, I love the variety. When I work as a carer I treat people the way I would want to be treated myself and the way I would expect my own family to be treated.
“I have been promoting person centred care plans and done a lot of work with clients to find out what they want from their care, not what we think they should have.”
Pendine Park Independent Living Manager Audra (corr) West nominated Bev. She said: “Bev is a staunch advocate of dignity and respect for the people she supports and has developed ways to improve communication which have been implemented within the organisation.
“Bev has strived to improve the quality of the service. Aside from improving her practice through training and development she presents as a positive role model to her peers and customers.”
When the company organised a rock night to help raise money for a special wheelchair for a young woman and an afternoon tea dance for dementia sufferers, Beverley through herself into the marketing and ticket sales to ensure they were both great successes.
On her nomination, Bev said: “I was a bit shocked and a little bit nervous but also overwhelmed at just being included in the finalists for the whole of Wales.”
Mario Kreft MBE, the Honorary Chief Executive of Care Forum Wales, said the Wales Care Awards had gone from strength to strength.
He said: “The event is now firmly established as one of the highlights in the Welsh social care calendar.
“The aim is to recognise the unstinting and often remarkable dedication of our unsung heroes and heroines across Wales.
“The care sector is full of wonderful people because it’s not just a job it’s a vocation – these are the people who really do have the X Factor.
“If you don’t recognise the people who do the caring you will never provide the standards that people need and never recognise the value of the people who need the care in society.
“We need to do all we can to raise the profile of the care sector workforce – they deserve to be lauded and applauded.
“It is a pleasure to honour the contribution of all the finalists. Each and every one of them should be very proud of their achievement.”
