A dedicated activities assistant has been described as one half of the “Welsh version of Ant and Dec” for his innovative work at a care home.
Geoff Liddle’s work at Ty Nant, a specialist dementia care home, in Williamstown in the Rhondda Valley, is of such a high standard that he has been put forward for a prestigious award.
He has been nominated for an honour in this year’s Wales Care Awards in the Excellence in Dementia Care Award category, sponsored by the SilverCrest Care Group.
The glittering ceremony will be taking place on Friday, October 18, at the Holland House Hotel in Cardiff and will be hosted by radio and TV presenter Jason Mohammad.
The event, dubbed Oscars of social care, is being organised by Care Forum Wales, and the overall sponsor is Ontex Healthcare.
A change of career saw Geoff enter the care sector and he has been working at SilverCrest Care Home Group’s Ty Nant Care Home for almost two years.
Kathy Gover, the home manager at Ty Nant, said: “Geoff worked most of his life in the financial services, and learning and development, but at the height of the pandemic Geoff sadly lost his mother.
“He was so overwhelmed by the care his mum received towards the end he knew he wanted to contribute back to society and made the decision to leave his learning and development role.
“He did not know at the time what that looked like, but he knew that’s the direction he needed to take.
“Luckily for us Geoff was walking past the Ty Nant Care Home and saw a recruitment sign. He called me to find out more about job opportunities so I invited him in for a trial for an hour but Geoff ended up staying most of the day and absolutely fell in love with the home and from that moment Geoff knew that care was the rewarding role he was looking for.
“Since day one, Geoff found his feet immediately. He quickly showed signs of understanding care and the dementia model immediately.
“Geoff is very helpful, funny, kind and a wonderful team worker. He has a calming personality and can literally turn his hand to anything. Geoff works closely with 2022 Wales Care Award bronze winner Shawn Sullivan and together they are the Welsh Ant and Dec!”
Geoff, 59, who lives in Penrhiwfer just a few minutes from the care home, said he was delighted to be nominated for the award, but said the reward and satisfaction he received from the work he does would outweigh any need for recognition.
He said he would willingly accept the description of being one half of the Welsh version of Ant and Dec, as he thoroughly enjoys working with his colleague Shawn.
Geoff, who is married and has two grown up daughters and one grandson, said: “I am delighted to be nominated for the award but I don’t do what I do for the recognition it’s enormously rewarding enough to have such a wonderful connection and rapport with my residents.
“I simply strive to make a positive difference with each resident so whether that’s a smile or their eyes lighting up for just a fleeting moment or for a prolonged period. then that’s the best feeling in the world.
“There can be times where you have no response or interaction for days and suddenly in one magical moment through their love of music, sport or a topic of conversation you know they’re passionate about they give you a response then that’s when you know you have made that significant difference in their life.
“There has honestly not been a single day that I don’t want to go to work. You can of course go home and be shattered, but you go home with a light heart. I will usually be researching new ideas and activities for my residents which will help to enhance their lives and I know they will love.”
Referring to the time he decided to change his career and enter the care sector, Geoff said: “Often one moment changes everything, you look at life differently. And in this role, what you give, you also receive it back, it’s not one way.”
Kathy Gover said “Geoff’s caring personality and instincts helped him to understand the residents and their needs. He is automatically drawn to residents who are unable to verbalise their thoughts and feelings. Geoff has an ability to connect in quiet thoughtful ways. Having no specialised training at the start, Geoff used his instincts to enrich the lives of residents at the home. Those residents that cannot sing along, play games or participate had someone who understood the stoic patience it takes to sit, talk, touch, to try and engage.
“Geoff found YouTube footage with the resident speaking on camera. Geoff has also created a folder on Spotify which has all of the opera music the resident likes and has triggered more memories which they are exploring further. Geoff also contacted local MP Chris Bryant to come along and talk to the resident which was wonderful to see. Together they discussed politics and the resident’s passion for that world and campaigning.
“There are so many examples in which Geoff has supported residents positively but one of our favourites is the men would always talk about shaving, so Geoff implemented a regular barber’s experience. Geoff and his colleague Shawn will dress up smart in a shirt, tie and waistcoat, play the right music, lay out magazines and papers. He will then invite the gentlemen one by one, put the shaving foam on them ready for a wet shave just like the gentlemen used to have in their barber shops while having lovely meaningful conversations.”
Mario Kreft MBE, the chair of Care Forum Wales, said: “Our aim is to recognise the unstinting and often remarkable dedication of our unsung heroes and heroines on the front line of social across Wales. The care sector is full of wonderful people because it’s not just a job it’s a vocation – these are the people who really do have the X Factor.
If you don’t recognise the people who do the caring you will never provide the standards that people need and never recognise the value of the people who need the care in society.
We need to do all we can to raise the profile of the care sector workforce – they deserve to be lauded and applauded. It is a pleasure to honour the contribution of all the finalists. Each and every one of them should be very proud of their achievement.”
