Celebrate our mirus stars awards finalists!

Celebrate our mirus stars finalists!

A panel of judges had the difficult task of selecting 40 semi-finalists from an amazing 151 powerful nominations.

At our mirus stars pre-awards party events in Cardiff and Swansea our audience members voted for the people they thought most deserved to go through to the next round as finalists.

Our 21 amazing finalists each had incredible reasons for being nominated that reflect our mirus values which are; Together, Respectful, Responsible, Empowering and Courageous.

These incredible people will now go forward to our mirus stars awards ceremony, which will be held later this year.

Read the incredible reasons our finalists were nominated.

You can read about our semi-finalists by clicking this link.

TOGETHER

Anneliese Edwards – person supported by mirus, Brecon

This person has been a huge source of support for another person receiving semi support. They have offered friendship, encouragement and support and given the person a

sense of purpose.

They have enabled them to overcome their fears of going outside following the pandemic and now on a weekly basis the two go out to various activities unsupported. They have given another individual the courage to face their fears and this has significantly improved their quality of life.

Julie Devereux – person supported by mirus, Brecon

This person is passionate about others being happy and together. They never leave anyone behind, and do things for others to make them feel included. They always make sure that everyone feels welcome in their home.

When going on an outing this person always makes sure the people she lives with feel welcome, and makes sure they always have a fun adventure. When they are in the local community, it is impossible to walk more than 50 feet before someone recognises them and want to speak with them. The people they have been chatting to always leave the conversation with a massive smile on their faces.

They also knit teddy bears to gift to staff, friends and to charity. They always sew the name of the person being gifted the teddy onto its chest, and everybody loves receiving them.

Natalie Davies – person supported by mirus, Neath Port Talbot

When this person came to be supported by mirus they wanted to achieve so much. Their last support providers had not encouraged them to achieve their goals in life, so they really doubted themselves. However, since being supported by mirus, this person has gone above and beyond in achieving their goals, with the help of staff who have supported them to believe that they can achieve anything they want to.

This person now has a more active social life, they have recently started a new relationship, and their partner stays over every week. They have been on holidays and have another one booked. One of the big things they wanted was a tattoo and they are finally getting one!

Kathryn Bell – person supported by mirus, Swansea

This person has grown in confidence and built their self-esteem. They have been able to recognise the importance of relationships and friendsh

ips and has now formed good friendships with the people they live with.

This person has made a wonderful bond with another person supported who is nonverbal and the two do everything together. This person shows a great deal of affection and attentiveness to their friend – when they win at bingo in the day centre this person shares their winnings and they celebrate together.

This person makes sure that their friend is comfortable and happy and chats with them, even though their friend cannot communicate back to them. This person cooks on Tuesday evenings and checks what other people can eat so that they don’t leave anyone out.

RESPECTFUL

Jill Stephenson – mirus staff member, Central Services

This person received four nominations for their support of other staff members:

Anyone who knows this person will know how busy they are and how hard they work. Despite this, they often take time out to be a kind ear for me, offering support and being wonderfully compassionate. This really helped me during a difficult time and was a huge support throughout, which made me feel at ease.

For me this person offered stability at a time where my mangers and structures were changing. They were there to listen to my concerns, guide me to solutions and be a role model for mirus values. When I was struggling, this person noticed and followed through with support, checking in and taking pressure off, always with a smile and funny words.

They always go out of their way to ensure that their colleagues are supported within a safe space, free to speak freely without judgement. They go above and beyond to ensure everybody’s well-being, which makes them ideal for their role; they are knowledgeable, approachable, trustworthy, considerate and empathetic.

Their great work is a benefit to all within mirus, from the management teams to Support Workers; their person centred approaches to us all as individuals creates a supportive and empowering culture. They have been in mirus for over 20 years and the organisation would not be the same without them!

Joanne Davies – mirus staff member, Gwent

This person is just amazing!

They became employed by mirus after regularly talking to a person supported on the bus whenever they saw them. They were then referred for the job! They have planned parties and bring in roast dinners in for all staff and people supported when they work on a Sunday!

This person consistently goes above and beyond for the people they support, ensuring that they are able to lead their absolute best lives. They have had compliments from the families of all the people they have supported throughout mirus, and we feel that they really encompass our values.

Leanne Brice – mirus staff member, Swansea

This person was on shift when a staff member became ill with a suspected stroke. They took charge immediately and phoned for an ambulance, but they were told that it would take hours for an ambulance to arrive.

They used their initiative and used a mobile hoist to lift the staff member into a wheelchair. Then, with permission from a person supported, they transported the staff member to hospital using their vehicle.

This person showed great courage and responsibility. They managed the situation with such bravery, all the time keeping the staff members dignity intact. The staff member was in hospital within the hour receiving treatment.

Claire Roberts – mirus staff member, Bridgend

When a person supported was receiving end of life care in hospital, this person went out of their way to make sure that they were present to provide support the person supported, their family and the staff team.

They made sure that the person supported was comfortable and treated with respect. They gave a lot of their time to support everyone during this difficult time and put the needs of the person supported and the family above their own, always respecting their need for privacy.

The compassion, respect and care they gave during this time was a great comfort to the person supported and their family.

RESPONSIBLE

Franco Armitti – person supported by mirus, Cardiff

Last month a member of staff who was lone working fell down the stairs. This person was being supported by them at the time, and stepped in to assist the staff member and keep them company. They found the phone and called ‘On Call’, and when the On Call staff arrived this person made them cups of coffee and kept everyone calm.

They stayed with the injured staff member until the ambulance arrived, and helped to inform the managers of what had happened while the injured staff member was in hospital receiving treatment for a broken hip.

Afterwards, the injured staff member called to say how supported and comforted she felt by this person – and that without their quick thinking she may have been lying on the floor all night until other staff arrived.

Tina Holdsworth – person supported by mirus, Brecon

This nomination was made by someone who is supported by mirus:

Everytime I have a seizure this person always helps the staff to look after me and is so caring

They always make me feel safe, calm, reassured, secure and relaxed with their presence around me, but especially when I have a seizure. I don’t know what I would do without their friendship.

Neil Agnew – person supported by mirus, Bridgend

Following a stroke last year, this person has bounced back and embraced life, taking on new challenges, and finding joy in everyday things. They have been so courageous following a very scary episode in their lives and have made amazing progress.

They are trying to eat a healthier diet and are spending time at the gym and toning suite, working on their fitness and mobility. This person is so funny and always caring and considerate to everyone they meet.

Michael Wheaton – person supported by mirus, Neath Port Talbot

This person has started to count their own medication and is working towards completing all their medication on their own. They are gaining more independence and taking responsibility for their own health and wellbeing.

EMPOWERING

Chris Garlick – mirus staff member, Central Services

This person’s dedication to their role, department and the organisation is unmatched. They go above and beyond with every project they are involved in. They take on so much whilst supporting so many different people in so many ways – sometimes I wonder if they are human! I struggled to pick a category for this nomination as I truly believe this person lives all of our values, all of the time.

They make such a difference to mirus and their impact on the organisation and their colleagues is positively huge. They set a very high standard of what they expect from themselves, which encourages and motivates so many other people within the organisation – and they always do it with a smile, positive attitude and are one of the best role models.

Just one of the huge differences they are making is to the fire evacuation procedures for each house. This is an enormous task to undertake with a 2 person team, but because of this person’s knowledge, expertise and dedication, each staff member they visit is left feeling confident and appreciative that thy have a good procedure to follow.

This person really cares for the wellbeing of others, and leads the Wellbeing Champions group, has supported them to produce their own podcast (which is in the pipeline for release), has run lots of campaigns for our staff members and people we support and has organised lots of wellbeing coffee mornings in the office.

Mark Griffiths – mirus staff member, Cardiff

This person has received 4 nominations for representing mirus and doing fantastic work with our social groups.

This person has stepped up to support the Cardiff Social Groups on top of their role as a Support Worker. The social groups are round 35 people who meet up three times a week to have a good time, try new things, and make new friends in a safe space. The groups also provide families with informal respite, so they can have a break from caring.

They have worked with amazing enthusiasm and creativity to develop opportunities for the groups including themed meals out, trying new venues for food and bowling, and theatre trips, as well as working with companies to meet people’s travel and accessibility needs.

They also provide feedback on things like accessibility, affordability and atmosphere from the groups to help others decide whether a particular venue will suit them.

As part of the social groups, this person coordinates the Friday wellbeing walk. They became aware of the WalkThisMay steps challenge and spotted the link to the wellbeing walk. They asked for pedometers which they shared out with regular walkers, enabling people supported to track their steps. They then uploaded the steps for the group each week so everyone could take part in the challenge.

On top of all this, they have supported Managers and the Recruitment Team with our first mirus only recruitment fair. They brought together the people we support and potential support workers. They also had some amazing conversations with a representative of our local partnership team that put mirus forward as a best care provider.

Erin Harvey – mirus staff member, Ceredigion

This person was temporarily transferred to another service to work, which was totally out of their comfort zone, as the needs of the people supported were very different to what they were used to. This person embraced this new challenge and really enjoyed learning new skills and ways to communicate. They’ve made a massive impact.

On the day that this person was transferred back to their original service, they were admitted to hospital and after tests and scans were given a diagnosis of cancer. Throughout all of this they have remained positive, and even challenged the sick note that that the doctor gave to them, saying that they could work in-between treatment.

This person has 2 young children to care for and throughout all that they have been through and are still going through they remain positive.

Karen Manning – mirus staff member, Bridgend

Every day this person empowers the people they support to be as independent as possible. They have encouraged people to achieve not only small everyday goals but goals which push them out of their comfort zone.

This person has really empowered a particular person supported who struggled with their confidence. The person supported would never get up or speak out and would often shy away from things, but over the past year the person supported has gone up on stage to sing karaoke, got up and danced in events, spoken up about concerns in house meetings and has also taken part in a theatre show.

This person is passionate about promoting independence and ensuring that people supported have a great quality of life. They are a great role model for staff who often say that working with this person shows them how they can support people to achieve their full potential.

COURAGEOUS

Jamie Greathead – person supported by mirus, Brecon

When this person turned 18 they moved from school provision into shared accommodation in a new home in 2021. They took a big step moving into supported living and have grasped the challenge with both hands, proving that they are capable of whatever they set their mind to.

Since this move they have grown in independence and have taken on many new challenges.  They have continued their personal development, always showing that they are on the way to becoming an independent young person.

They: Are taking part/volunteering in a local Community Garden, are learning to drive, have applied for college to be a mechanic and have bought a car to work on during their studies, are applying for jobs, have started their own vegetable garden at home, have started the Couch to 5K running programme, and have taken up fishing and are planning a fishing holiday.

All of this as well as learning to budget responsibly, meal planning and being an active part of their small community! This person is a wonderful young adult who is a pleasure to support and spend time with. They have many plans for their future which I’m sure with hard work they will achieve.

Martyn Crowley – person supported by mirus, Cardiff

This person moved into Supported Living last year under difficult circumstances and has dealt with constant changes to their life ever since. They have been extremely resilient and faced all challenges head on.

This person has been able to develop their daily living skills, build relationships with others, have a voice and control of their own life. They have become more conscious of making better food choices, and their dental hygiene has improved and they are asking staff to help them make sure their teeth are being brushed correctly.

They have come out of their shell and are really developing into someone who is confident in doing things independently – they have gone from doing simple Lego sets to building multi thousand piece builds with very little help and support, and they are really proud of their achievement.

They have made huge progress in their independent living skills and has spent time building trusting relationships with their staff and housemates.  They are not afraid to ask when they don’t quite understand something and need help. They are a much happier person who has begun to smile and laugh and joke a lot more than when they first moved in.

Fiona Wilson – person supported by mirus, Cardiff

This person has pushed their own boundaries which has boosted their confidence. They have performed in a theatre group in many countries including they Germany, Mercia and Spain. They have shown that they are full of passion and have taken their role in the play very seriously.

They are always happy to help other around them and have given back to the community by volunteering in a local café and the fire station. They have also worked hard to develop their skills including cooking, performing and sign language.

Wendy Jones – person supported by mirus, Neath Port Talbot

This person has overcome their fear of going out alone without support. They have worked towards their independence and pushed their own boundaries and have already come so far. This person has lost an incredible 10 stone in weight, which has really boosted their confidence. They are more independent, confident and healthier.

They are socialising more and getting out and about in the community.  They may face a few challenges and setbacks, but they are always so inspiring in how they deal with these things and how they push forward and continue to work towards their goals every day!

They have enrolled on to a beauty college course independently and are doing really well. They have almost completed the current course and will be starting a new course in September.

What this person has achieved acts as an encouragment for others – people supported and staff. They are obviously so eager to work on their self-growth and healing

They are always so helpful towards staff and such an important part of where they live! Always fun to be around. This person makes everyone smile.

Eirion Hughes – person supported by mirus, Ceredigion

Back in November this person supported by mirus suffered a very serious injury that left them in hospital for just under 3 months. They are now home and recovering well.

At first they were nervous to get back out and about and to take part in household tasks but they are now getting back into their routine and also being more mindful about their health. They are making healthier choices and are hoping that someone new moves in with them soon so that they have some company.

This person has shown that being brave and determined makes a huge difference and their positive attitude has helped them get back on track with their health and wellbeing.