Councillor Offers Personal Thanks to Care Home Staff

YEW Trees, Dukinfield, was the latest stop on Cllr John Taylor’s tour of Tameside’s care homes.

The call was part of his plan to visit every home in the borough as a show of support for staff, and to offer his personal thanks for their hard work and dedication throughout the covid pandemic and its lockdowns.

As the council’s executive member for adult social care, homelessness and inclusivity, he also wants to look around the homes to get a better understanding of each one, the people who work and live there, and the way care is organised and provided.

Cllr Taylor will also be visiting home-care providers to listen to the difficulties they face in arranging visits to the 1,000-plus people who need support to remain living in their own homes.

He said: “It’s two years since the clapping stopped for carers but their work hasn’t. They are still looking after the old and vulnerable every day and I want them to know they have the full support and thanks of both myself and Tameside Council.

“Care workers were like firefighters during the lockdowns. When there’s a blaze, most of us run away but the fire service has to tackle it. That’s what it was like with care workers and covid. When the rest of us were being told to avoid personal contact, they had to go into work.

“The same is true for those working in supported housing and home care as they had to continue to visit people’s houses despite all the risks.

“I was a volunteer at the Greystones homeless project when coronavirus was at its height and I can empathise with the fact care staff weren’t able to work from home. They had no option but to remain on the front line providing personal care and support to the most vulnerable people in Tameside. For that, I will always be grateful.”