THE manager of an Ellesmere Port residential service has been recognised with a national award for her “tireless dedication” to people living with mental health issues and learning disabilities.

Dreena Davies, from Chester, manages Rivacre, a 12-bed residential home on Seymour Drive. She was named Housing Manager of the Year at the national Housing With Care awards, with judges praising her “unwavering mission to elevate Rivacre’s standards.”

Dreena received her award at a gala dinner held at London’s Hilton Bankside Hotel. The host of the awards, actor and comedian Steve Wells, described how Dreena fosters a culture of support and learning and prioritises the wellbeing of residents.

The judges also noted how, under Dreena’s leadership, Rivacre consistently achieved ‘Good’ and ‘Outstanding’ ratings from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the independent regulator of health and social care in England.

Dreena has worked with Making Space, the national health and social care charity that operates Rivacre, for over 10 years.

She said of the award: “It is fantastic to be recognised for the work I do, and receive this national manager award.

“I feel privileged as the registered manager at Rivacre House to share in the day to day lives of the people we support and seeing their continuous development and achievements. 

"And to have such amazing colleagues, who are truly dedicated and aspire to providing care and support of the highest standard, is an honour.”

Her manager Shane Parnell, associate director of operations, Making Space, said: “Dreena lives and breathes for Rivacre. Maintaining and improving our CQC ratings are a personal mission for her, and she moulds the service to meet her own extremely high standards.

“Her leadership is warm, supportive, transparent and focused on helping everyone to be their best. Building confident, motivated, skilled and happy teams is integral to the Making Space commitment to ensuring everyone has a voice and feels valued, and Dreena exemplifies this.

“She has a vast level of knowledge in all aspects of care and management and she uses her experience to lead by example. Dreena works tirelessly and selflessly to support colleagues and ensure continuity and quality of care for residents. She is our blueprint of a perfect social care manager.”

Victoria Wedge, a member of Dreena’s team at Rivacre, was also singled out for praise by the judges at the awards. As a ‘Highly Commended’ finalist in the Care and Support Worker category, Victoria was at the ceremony to hear the judges describe her exceptional dedication and evident compassion. “She consistently exceeds expectations, displaying a remarkable commitment to learning and growth,” they said.

Phil Orton, chief people officer, Making Space, said: “Our gold Investors in People accreditation is a testimony to managers like Dreena, who demonstrate inspiring leadership. 

“She also acts as a beacon to others who have aspirations to lead, and our People Plan embodies our commitment to developing more great leaders like Dreena in the future.”