The Child and Adolescent Health Care Award is open to an organisation, department and or individual carer/nurse/doctor/charity who specialises in the care and treatment of children and adolescents within Worcestershire.

The 2023 awards will culminate in a black tie dinner for all the finalists at the Abbey Hotel in Malvern on Thursday, September 14, where the winners will be announced.

This award is sponsored by Cambian.

Here are your finalists:

Andrea and Aiden Webley

ANDREA and Aiden Webley have been foster carers with Aspris, a fostering agency based in Malvern, for about eleven years. They have four-grown up children and six grandchildren.

Their youngest child was 12 when they started fostering and they worried at first it might affect him, but he now says it was just like having lots of new brothers and sisters.

They said: “We were very surprised to be nominated but feel very proud that someone thought what we were doing was special enough to be recognised with a nomination.

“We have really enjoyed our fostering career and although there have been some challenges, we do feel in some cases we have made a difference to a child’s life. We are still in contact with some of the children we have fostered and have recently had one return to live with us after three years away.”

Andrea and Aiden have recently been on holiday with three girls who lived with them for almost three years before they moved on but they still see them regularly. “The only regret we have about fostering is that we didn’t start earlier.”

Abbie Williamson

ABBIE Williamson is a support worker for Civicare and began her career in the care sector almost three and a half years ago. She started after completing work experience at Fort Royal school in Worcester.

It was there that she discovered how much she enjoyed caring for young people, and she wanted to make a difference. She said: “Upon joining Civicare I was introduced to all age ranges with disabilities and poor mental health. It is an amazing feeling, being able to offer greater opportunities and support to those I care for.

Nothing else makes me feel as good as the feeling of bringing happiness to others. “I am humbled, being nominated for this title, but more so because of the caliber of the people I support. To have the privilege of making a difference by doing it in such a way I enjoy. I love caring for others, and knowing some of the things I do makes their life that little bit easier, and enjoyable.”

The Feeding Trust

THE Feeding Trust is delighted to have been nominated for this award, in recognition of the help and support they have provided to 95 families over the last year. The Feeding Trust helps children and young people with Paediatric Feeding Disorders (PFD) to develop a life-long healthy relationship with food.

They do this by providing life-changing feeding therapy and empowering families and communities through education and research. Based out of their Feeding Clinic in Bromsgrove, they help children such as fouryear-old Isaac.

Isaac, who is autistic and has difficulties with reflux and constipation, came to the clinic eating only Walkers French Fries crisps. Over the course of two years, the team worked with Isaac, his family and his school to help him learn how to eat a more varied diet.

He now eats more than 40 foods from across all food groups. His parents said: “We now have a healthy, happy child who is conquering his challenges.”