A Double Win At The Oxfordshire Care Awards 2026!
The Home Instead Virtus Care Group is delighted to celebrate two incredible wins at the OACP Oxfordshire Care Awards 2026!
Last Thursday, we attended the awards ceremony at the Oxford Belfry to celebrate the achievements of finalists across a range of categories. We were especially proud to have two of our own recognised as finalists: Odette, one of our fantastic Care Professionals who was a finalist in the Newcomer category, and Alisha from our Swindon team who was shortlisted in the Student category. Simply being named finalists was a huge achievement, and we were excited to support and celebrate them both on the evening.
Odette’s Story
Odette joined the Home Instead Oxford team in October 2025 with no previous care experience, having previously worked as a chef and waitress. From the very beginning, her kindness, compassion, and willingness to learn stood out, and she quickly became a valued member of the team. Within just two weeks of starting, Odette identified and reported a serious deterioration in a client’s health, enabling immediate intervention and additional support to be put in place. Since then, she has received exceptional feedback from clients and colleagues alike for her hardworking and caring approach, earning CarePro of the Month in December 2025 and a place on the Home Instead Virtus Care Group CarePro Council.
And… she won!
We were absolutely thrilled to see Odette announced as the winner of the Newcomer Award amongst such an inspiring group of finalists! She was presented with a certificate and trophy in recognition of her achievement, and we could not be prouder of everything she has accomplished so far.
It was also a double celebration for the Home Instead Virtus Care Group, as Alisha won the Student Award for our Swindon & Vale of White Horse team too! The evening was filled with hugs, happy tears, celebratory drinks, and so much pride as we shared the news with our wider teams. Everyone was absolutely beaming for both winners.
Why Recognition Matters
Recognising and celebrating our team is incredibly important to us. Nominating colleagues for local awards is just one of the many ways we show appreciation for the dedication, compassion, and hard work they bring to Home Instead and to our clients every day. We are fortunate to witness extraordinary care and commitment across our teams daily, and awards like these provide a wonderful opportunity to highlight and celebrate those achievements.
A huge well done to everyone who was nominated and a massive thanks to OACP (Oxfordshire Association of Care Providers) for organising such a great event!