Henfield care home activities lead scoops coveted title

Sue McHoy at Red Oaks in Henfield has been crowned Apprentice of the Year for the South West Division in the Barchester Care Awards 2026 and is through to the national round of judging.

The Barchester Care Awards celebrate the staff who go the extra mile for the benefit of the 14,000 residents living in Barchester’s 271 care homes and private hospitals across the country. Categories range from ‘Registered Nurse of the Year’ and ‘Carer of the Year’ to ‘Dementia Care Champion’ and ‘Activities Coordinator of the Year’.

Almost 6,000 nominations were received from homes and hospitals across the UK. All entries were a very high standard and Sue is over the moon to have been named the winner for the South West beating hundreds of other nominees.

Sue said: I am so pleased to have won this award! Achieving a distinction in the apprenticeship was more than I had hoped for, so receiving this award as well is just beyond belief.

As the winner for South West, Sue is through to the national finals in which the overall winner is decided.  They will join winners from across the UK at a special awards event in October to celebrate their outstanding achievements and discover if they have won a national award.

General Manager, Linda Ryan said: “This is an amazing achievement and the whole home is supporting Sue We are so proud of her, she passed her apprenticeship with flying colours gaining a distinction in all aspects and receiving outstanding feedback."