Lancashire care home staff receive awards for high vaccine uptake

And homes in Lancashire are receiving certificates to recognise their staff for having both jabs of the vaccine in a bid to protect the vulnerable elderly residents from Covid.

The announcement comes as care home residents can now have an unlimited number of 'named' visitors to come and visit them in their homes.

In Lancashire, a recent survey undertaken by Lancashire County Council found that in 152 care settings, 95 per cent of staff had already had both of their doses of the vaccine.

And 100 per cent of staff at one Bamber Bridge care home have had both the jabs, marking one of the first to reach the milestone in the county.

Berkeley Village and Cuerden Grange nursing home in Bamber Bridge, run by Cuerden Care, was one of the first care homes in Lancashire to be offered vaccinations with all staff members now fully jabbed.

Sam Dooney, registered home manager, said: "Our staff have been absolutely amazing. They have put others before themselves and even at times when they were worried about having a

vaccine, they understood that they needed to do this to protect the people we look after.

"We now have all staff on-site vaccinated which is wonderful and has helped to make people living in our homes and other staff safer from this terrible virus.

"It is great to have this success recognised and acknowledged by other agencies and we are pleased to be able to share our success with others in Lancashire.

"All staff in care homes deserve recognition and praise for what they have been through and achieved over the past 16 months."

And Marie Barnes, home manager said: "The staff didn't need to get the vaccine, but they have put the residents first by getting it done. It gives security to the families and the residents that they are fully covered.

"Eventually everyone that works in care is going to need the vaccine. None of us or the residents had any adverse reactions to the jab and I think for people working in care, it is something they are going to have to have."

The news comes as it was previously announced that anyone working in a care home in England must now have two vaccine doses unless they are medically exempt.

These regulations have been approved by both Houses of Parliament and will now be signed into law, and once this happens, they will come into force after 16 weeks.

Since then, 99 other homes have received a certificate of recognition from the council, with 53 others set to receive theirs in the coming weeks.

These certificates will be displayed in the homes to mark the achievement and in a bid to provide extra reassurance to residents and their families.

The county council has said it will review vaccination uptake among staff again in August and will send out further certificates to any care settings that have reached more than 95 per cent.

Coun Graham Gooch, cabinet member for adult services, added: "Care staff have been incredible throughout the pandemic, having faced so much adversity and never wavering in their dedication to keeping people who use services safe.

"It is wonderful to see that so many are now fully vaccinated, and it is only right that we recognise this achievement.

"We hope this gesture will be a source of pride to staff and provide extra reassurance to residents and their families. Getting both of your jabs will significantly reduce your chances of getting seriously ill from the virus, and there is increasing evidence that vaccines help to reduce transmission."

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