A passion to help others has earned Carewatch employee Dean McMillan a coveted award at Scotland’s national Care at Home awards ceremony celebrating best of the independent care at home and housing support sector.
Dean, who has worked for Carewatch Ayrshire since starting as a care support worker at the age of 23 in 2013, won the Emerging Talent category at the prestigious Scottish Care Awards ceremony held at the Marriott Hotel in Glasgow on 17 May hosted by Michelle McManus, and was overwhelmed by the experience.
He said: “Just being a finalist was great. I was nervous on stage because there were more than 300 people there, but it was amazing when they called out my name.
"I’m very honoured, because it is always great to get some recognition in such a big sector, however I’m a little embarrassed because there are so many amazing hard-working people out there. I love being in the community helping vulnerable people keep their independence and getting the most out of life.”
Dean, who is based in Irvine and works across North Ayrshire, now works as quality officer for Carewatch Ayrshire, which offers independent care at home and housing support services to adults and older people in their homes.
Managing Director of Carewatch Ayrshire, Anna Houston, said:
“Since joining us, Dean has held a number of roles, including care support worker, a supervisor and more recently as a quality officer. He came from a retail background and has really found his feet and excelled.
"We get great feedback from service users and their families because he always goes that extra mile. He is passionate about support and mentoring new staff helping them be the best they can be. We think he is a great ambassador for both the company and the sector.”