A care home’s staff and residents are celebrating after reaching the finals of a national competition.

Chestnut Court in Frizlands Lane, Dagenham, announced it had reached the finals of the national Care Home Heroes Team Award on Monday, December 14.

The award from publication Care Home Professional recognised Chestnut Court’s “care professionals who pulled together as a team to not only ensure the safety of their clients, but also to support each other’s wellbeing” in the pandemic.

Home manager, Clare May, said: “Chestnut Court Care Home was one of the first in the county to experience an outbreak of Covid.

“At this time there was little awareness of the virus and minimal government guidance. We pulled together as a team to navigate a way through the early days and face the challenge head on to protect the residents and each other.

"The whole team are ecstatic, as am I, to be finalists in this award. In my eyes everyone in this home is a Care Home Hero. It’s exciting that the team have been recognised for all their sacrifices and the hard work not just during the early days of the pandemic but ongoing”.

The home thanked the community for support including gifts and messages.

Chestnut Court Care Home is part of the Maria Mallaband Care Group. The group operates 81 homes across the UK and employs more than 5,500 people.