Fiona Leggott, co-founder of Blossom Home Care, has joined her sector’s elite as a member of the invitation-only forum Women Achieving Greatness In Social Care.
Known as Wags, the forum founded by Care Talk magazine and Kent Integrated Care Alliance aims to inspire the female leaders of tomorrow and provide a platform for support and empowerment to bring real change to the sector.
“The value of women coming together can’t be underestimated,” says Wags. “More than 85% of the social care workforce is female.
“Many of these hard-working, dedicated and talented women juggle the challenges of family life with their career.
“The purpose of Wags is to promote gender equity and celebrate the incredible achievements of our female workforce.”
Fiona, who co-founded Blossom Home Care with her husband, John, was present at the Covent Garden launch event for Wags and described her inclusion as “a great honour”.
“Being recognised as a leader in the care sector and being in on the ground floor of a movement that could transform social care is a fantastic feeling,” she says.
“It’s a reflection of the work we’ve been doing at Blossom to offer the sort of premium care-in-the-home that puts the client at the centre of things and lets them call the shots rather than having care ‘done’ to them.
“We offer 50-minute-minimum home visits instead of the hello-goodbye whistlestop calls most people in need of care have to endure, and that gives carers time to care and form supportive relationships with our clients.
“I want the social care sector to up its game, so being part of Wags and having the chance to compare notes and work with other leaders is a superb opportunity.”
Fiona, a practising RGN, became an obvious candidate for membership of Wags when she won the Executive Home Care Leader award at the prestigious Social Care Leadership Awards organised by Care Talk magazine.
That award was given for being “a dynamic leader within a group or organisation who can demonstrate strong leadership skills to their managers and staff”.
Fiona is no stranger to awards, having scooped the coveted Social Care Nurse award as well as the equally prestigious Outstanding Contribution To Social Care award in 2019, both in the regional final of the Great British Care Awards.
Fiona was also invited to share her insight in the latest edition of Care Talk:
“Domiciliary care companies have recently faced some of the greatest challenges ever. The Covid pandemic has added unbearable pressure on an already strained system, meaning managers have had to step up and be true leaders.”
You can see the full snippet here:
