Every so often, a team member emerges whose impact is felt in every corner of the service. Someone who quietly elevates standards, supports colleagues, and makes care safer, kinder, and deeply personal. Anna-Marie Halford, our Lead Community Carer and nominee for the Care Assessor/Care Planner Award, is one of those people.
When Anna-Marie found out she had been nominated, she was “very shocked and surprised”, and admits she didn’t believe it until the official email arrived.
Her friends, family, and colleagues, however, weren’t surprised at all. They’re proud, excited, and, in her words, “confused why I’m so shocked.”
That reaction alone says everything.
A Leader in Person-Centred Care
Anna-Marie is known for the exceptional time, thought, and heart she pours into her person-centred support plans. She takes the time to truly know each individual their goals, preferences, worries, routines, and what matters most to them.
Her approach ensures that every plan is:
– personalised
– empowering
– strengths-based
– shaped around each service user’s unique life
This level of detail enables service users to live with confidence and dignity, supported in a way that works for them and their families.
Supporting Carers and Strengthening the Team
Alongside her meticulous care planning, Anna-Marie is the person many carers rely on daily. She is a source of reassurance, a problem-solver, and a steady hand when service user needs become urgent or complex.
Her manager described her perfectly:
“I could not do my job as successfully without her unwavering support, insight, and hard work.”
Carers feel safe working alongside her because she adapts to their personalities and ensures they feel supported and capable. She shared this herself in her nomination form:
“I can adapt my personality to others so they feel they are in safe hands — which they are.”
Her influence extends across the whole service, often quietly, always meaningfully.
Humble, Kind, and Deeply Appreciated
For someone who gives so much, Anna-Marie is remarkably humble. She doesn’t see what she does as extraordinary she sees it simply as the job she loves. “I love doing the job I do… the stories I hear from service users really make me appreciate everything I have even more.”
She even admitted she almost didn’t join Premier Community when she first entered the care sector, and now says: “Knowing what I do now, I wish I hadn’t turned Premier down. I’ve been made to feel so welcome and supported… and I’m grateful to have been given the opportunity.”
This groundedness is exactly why her nomination means so much. She truly doesn’t see the extraordinary difference she makes but everyone around her does.
A Well-Deserved Nominee
Anna-Marie is hardworking, compassionate, highly skilled, and deeply committed to doing the right thing. Her work lifts carers, strengthens our service, and transforms the experiences of the people we support.
Her nomination for the Care Assessor/Care Planner Award recognises not just her exceptional professionalism, but the kindness, thoughtfulness, and quiet leadership she brings to Erewash, Amber Valley and Premier Community every day.
Congratulations, Anna-Marie. You’re an inspiration to us all.
