Juno wins at The National Children & Young People Awards

Last week the Juno team put on their glad rags and headed to The National Children & Young People Awards, two awards in particular were particularly exciting to hear the winners of, and it was worth the wait!

Nina Howarth, our Registered Manager at Juno Oxton, won The Children’s Home Manager Award (North) and Juno was Highly Commended for The Employer Award – North.

Sarah Dimmelow, our Director of Operations, shared some thoughts on the night:

“It was a very glamorous night in Birmingham, starting with a glitzy drinks reception followed a lovely dinner. Everyone was in their posh frocks and tuxedos. What was great was it was a true celebration of striving for excellence for the children and young people in our care, and for acknowledging the real heroes – our home teams and their managers – for all their hard work and commitment.

No one at Juno knew the outcome, so it was definitely a lovely surprise on the night to receive these accolades. When Nina’s name was announced, fireworks went off on the stage and I think I remember shouting with delight”.

We were able to pull Nina back down to earth long enough to ask a few questions about her big win.

Hi Nina! How does it feel winning your award!?

I feel very honoured; I was not expecting to win. But I am proud of myself, the children, and my wonderful team at Oxton. This is not an award for me alone, a lot of other people within Juno need to be recognised too, I wouldn’t be able to do my job well without all the support from those around me.

What does a typical day at work look like for you?

A day with Juno is full of fun, laughter and support. I feel like it has helped to build my confidence as well as making friends and maturing.

What is it like working as part of the Juno team?

It’s very clear that we all have the same values and want to make a positive difference to all the Juno children’s lives. It is inspiring to be part of such a hardworking, resilient and care-focused team.

What’s your favourite thing about your day-to-day as a Registered Manager at Juno?

Seeing the changes in our children, watching them build strong, trusting, and positive relationships with the team.

What’s one thing that inspires you about supporting the children?

How much I can learn from the children we support.

What are you most excited about in life right now?

Ofsted coming and seeing the great work the team have done, and are doing to improve the outcomes of our children, and how much love and laughter is present in our beautiful home.

Well done Nina and thank-you for your hard work and dedication, this win was so well deserved!

If you’re looking for a great place to work and want to be part of a team that makes a real difference, we’d love to hear from you. We are recruiting for a new Registered Manager for our upcoming 5th Juno home, to find out more take a look at our opportunities page.