Southern Cross Healthcare Group launches Care Awards

Southern Cross Healthcare announced today, 5 March 2007, that they are launching a wide reaching set of awards designed to celebrate and recognise the work and commitment of their 33,000 staff. The awards will be open to people employed in Southern Cross Healthcare, Ashbourne Senior Living and Active Care Partnership Care Centres.

A total of 9 awards will be made in the following categories:

1. Professional Practice Award
2. Carers Commitment and Achievement Award
3. Customer Care Award
4. Excellence in Hotel Services Award
5. Excellence in Activities Award
6. Manager of the Year Award
7. Marketing Initiative Award
8. Active Care Specialist Services Award
9. And Southern Cross Healthcare Group Grand Prix Award

Southern Cross Healthcare will be presenting these awards in each of its five Divisons, including its specialist division, Active Care Partnerships. A Divisional Champion will be selected from these winners to represent their Division. The Divisional Champions, supported by all of the divisional winners, will then attend the National Grand Final.

Nominations for the Awards can be made by colleagues, service users and their relatives. We also welcome nominations from our colleagues in partner organisations.

John Murphy, Group Operations Director of Southern Cross Healthcare said "I am absolutely delighted to announce these awards. At Southern Cross we have a reputation for providing the best possible care for Service Users - but none of this would be possible without the superb work of our people. In these awards we will be recognising those individuals that go that one step further to support our service users, their families and their colleagues."

Nominations for the awards are now open. Copies of the nomination forms can be obtained from any Southern Cross, Ashbourne Senior Living or Active Care Partnership Care Centre.

Notes to Editors

The Southern Cross Healthcare Group is the largest provider of care homes in the United Kingdom with over 600 homes, 29,000 beds and 33,000 staff.

For organisational purposes the company is divided into 4 geographical Divisions (Wales and Southern England, Midlands, North and Central England, Scotland and Northern Ireland) and a specialist service Division covering the whole of the UK.

Contact Details:

Pauline Boyne
Group Marketing Manager
Southern Cross Healthcare
193 -199 Bath Street
Glasgow G2 5HU
Telephone 0141 222 2900
PR200 02/03/07