Louth's Windsor House receptionist is an '˜unsung hero'

Carol Blades, who works as a team receptionist for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services at Windsor House in Louth, was crowned as 
the ‘Non-Clinical Unsung Hero’ award at the Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust’s eighth annual ‘Making a Difference Every Day’ staff excellence awards.

Carol, who has been in the role for over two years, is often the first person that young people and their parents speak to either on the phone or when they attend, and she is well known for her welcoming and friendly manner that puts people at ease.

At the awards ceremony at the Lincolnshire Showground earlier this month, Carol was commended for working hard to make the waiting area more inviting to the young people who use the services.

Carol was praised for ‘tackling everything with a smile,being calm and down to earth, and reassuring with patients, parents or colleagues.’

Carol told the Leader: “I was overwhelmed to find out that I had been nominated by so many people in the team.

“I am flattered that they spent time coordinating nominations to recognise my work, and I feel very honoured to have won this award.

“I have been in this role for just over two years now, as the first point of contact for young people and their families, I feel it’s really important that I am able to put them at ease.

“I work with a fantastic team, and meeting such a variety of people is one of the best parts of my job.”

Carol was one of 30 finalists - and just 10 winners - who were all chosen from over 200 nominations received from colleagues, managers, patients, carers and other organisations, who recognised that their work in the mental health sector stood out from the crowd.