ONE of the founders of a care village operator with a complex in Crewe was among those recognised in the Queen's birthday honours.

Tracy Paine was awarded an MBE for services to dementia care in the UK.

Tracy, who lives in Sandbach, helped pioneer the care village model which has transformed the quality of life for thousands of older people over the past decade and helped challenge more institutional, task-oriented approaches to care.

Belong runs a care village at Brookhouse Drive in Crewe,

When she was the company's operations director, she helped launch the first Belong village in Macclesfield in 2007.

Alongside former Chief Executive Nick Dykes and Finance Director Tracey Stakes, she went on to transition the not-for-profit organisation's provision from operating traditional care homes to establishing seven villages across the region, as well as dementia specialist home care and day care services.

Tracy said: "I am so very honoured to have been awarded an MBE in the Queen's Platinum Jubilee year. My career in nursing has been the most exciting journey over 42 years and in particular I would like to thank the many colleagues and partners who have supported me over the years, particularly as a director of Belong.

"I'm incredibly proud of what we achieved as a team, particularly in redesigning the built environment to world class standards, and provisioning the very best in dementia care through the household model and the village community."

Tracy was awarded a Winston Churchill research fellowship in 2016, enabling her to visit innovative care facilities overseas and impart her findings in the UK. Nearly 100 organisations visit Belong each year and its 'household' model has been widely adopted elsewhere.

She worked for the organisation until standing down from her post as deputy chief executive last summer. She is a trustee for the End-of-life Partnership, NAPA (the National Association for the Provision of Activities) and the healthcare tech start-up, Decently.

Belong's Chief Finance Officer Chris Hughes said: "Tracy always put the needs of the person with the dementia front and centre in everything we did as an organisation and her dedication and passion was an inspiration to many. We are absolutely delighted that her contribution to the sector has been recognised in this way."

Belong also featured in the commemoration of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee when it was chosen to feature in the official publication of Her Majesty The Queen: The Official Platinum Jubilee Pageant Album, which launched as part of the weekend's celebrations and profiles 70 outstanding organisations that have positively impacted life in the UK over the past seven decades.

Meanwhile, the company's domiciliary care service, Belong at Home, has been ranked in the top 20 home care groups in the UK for a fifth consecutive year by a leading online review site.

The service, operated from Belong Crewe, supports older people living in their own homes with a range of wellbeing and daily living needs.

The listing on Homecare.co.uk is based on verified customer reviews, with Belong at Home Crewe achieving an average review score of 9.7 out of 10 for the past year, placing it amongst the highest rated services in the country.

The Homecare.co.uk Top 20 Home Care Awards 2022 recognise the most recommended domiciliary care providers throughout the UK.

Based on the reviews of its customers, a position in the Top 20 Home Care Group category demonstrates that Belong at Home has achieved high ratings for all aspects of its service, including its people, care and support, management, treating customers with dignity, and overall value for money.

It is the fifth successive year Belong at Home has picked up the group award.

Belong at Home services provide customers with community support workers to assist with any customer needs, including one-to-one personal care and housekeeping, as well as companionship and support to enable greater wellbeing, including excursions outside the home and exercise initiatives.

Belong at Home customers and their relatives also benefit from free access to Belong's Admiral Nurse service, which provides mental health nurses specialising in dementia care.

Area Manager at Belong at Home Crewe Jane Gabbert said: "We're delighted with our continued success at the Homecare.co.uk Awards. It's especially rewarding because the results are based on reviews by people who interact with our services. The Belong at Home team work tirelessly to ensure the highest standards of care for our customers, and this is well-deserved recognition of that."

There are currently opportunities for Community Support Workers at Belong at Home services across the North West. More information, including how to apply, can be found on the organisation's website. Alternatively, email: [email protected].