A CARE firm based in Stroud is celebrating after scooping two awards in the annual Great British Care Awards South West.

DoCare, which also has teams based in Dursley and Yate, saw three of its employees pick up awards – company founders and directors Steve and Una Mills won care employer of the year whilst the firm’s Cirencester team leader, Kate Townsend, was named homecare co-ordinator of the year.

The prestigious awards ceremony was held at Cheltenham Racecourse, with nominations coming from throughout the South West.

Steve, who set up DoCare with his wife Una in 2004, said he was thrilled with the double win.

“Una and I are delighted to have won the care employer award, which we regard as a win for the whole team. DoCare is a family-run business, and our ethos is to treat everyone – staff and clients – as part of the family,” he said.

“We are also thrilled for Kate to have been named homecare co-ordinator, which is testament to the hard work she puts in to helping run the Cirencester team.”

Steve, Una and Kate will now go through to the national Great British Care Award finals to be held next year.

Una added: “We were over the moon to have a number of finalists in various categories, a testament to the excellence to which we all aspire across the organisation.

“There is a huge amount of pride and passion for the work we do.

“We’d even had a number of messages of support from our clients who’d heard that the awards were taking place, showing just how much of a family we have here at DoCare.

“Winning awards doesn’t mean that we ‘know it all’ but it is a pleasant recognition of the hard work, learning and innovation the management team, office staff and support workers contribute to the delivery of high quality, person-centred care.”