Julie Shield, registered manager at Abbeyvale Care Centre - part of National Care Group’s Essential Care and Support services in County Durham – attended the ceremony at Windsor Castle on 28 February 2023.
Becoming a Member of the Order of the British Empire is the latest and most prestigious in a number of awards presented to Julie throughout her career. She was named National Care Group’s Pandemic Star of the Year in 2021, was one of the first to receive the Silver Chief Nursing Officer Adult Social Care award from the UK Government in 2021 and won Employer of the Year at the Caring UK Awards in the same year.
The MBE reflects her dedicated service to the residents at Abbeyvale Care Centre and the social care sector as a whole, in which she has worked since 2000. In particular, Julie’s efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic ensured her service was kept completely Covid-19 free, selflessly putting the health and wellbeing of the people she supports above her own.
Julie said: “I’m honoured to receive such an award for work that I love to do and to be included on a list of incredibly well-deserving people.
“The commitment of the passionate and hard-working team around me, along with the wonderful people we support, has made Abbeyvale, and National Care Group, such a fantastic place to work over the past 23 years. I’m excited to see the progression of Abbeyvale and to continue leading such a vital community service for the elderly and those with a diagnosis of dementia.”
Julie, with Regional Operations Director for the North, Charlotte Lumley
James Allen, CEO of National Care Group, said: “Establishing a service that caters to a wide range of complex needs is a challenge, but Julie has done this exceptionally at Abbeyvale, creating a care home that offers a positive and comfortable environment for the people we support.
“We’re incredibly proud of all that Julie has achieved in her career and her outstanding local reputation. She is a true example of the passion and commitment National Care Group colleagues embody daily in their shared goals of making a real difference to the lives of those we support and unlocking their full potential.”
Read more about Abbeyvale Care Centre and the outstanding service provided by Julie and her team here.