Fatma Makalo, in red, with care home residents and staff

A “PHENOMENAL” care home manager has been awarded a prestigious prize for her work in a surprise ceremony this week.

Fatma Makalo, manager of Bridgeside Lodge Care Centre, near Angel, was presented with a ­silver Chief Nursing Officer award on Tuesday for her “above and beyond services to social care”.

The care home’s garden was filled with the sound of live music and the smell of food as part of a surprise ceremony attended by care home residents, staff, and NHS representatives.

Ms Makalo, who has worked as the centre’s manager for 15 years, used her speech to celebrate the hard work of her colleagues.

“This award is for all of us, not just for me,” she said.

“I’m really touched – words can’t express the gratitude,” Ms Makalo told the Tribune later.

She said her job as manager is about more than overseeing finances and filling in forms. The welfare of her colleagues is particularly important to her, and she devotes a lot of her time to helping them “break barriers”.

“This career is not an end-of-the-road job,” she said. “It’s rewarding and it’s really fun.”

She said she sees the residents as an “extension of the family,” adding: “I think Bridgeside Lodge is my first home, and my personal home is my second. It gives me joy when I go sit with a resident and have a cup of tea.”

She hopes to see more people enter the workforce over the next few years. “I would say to the person considering a career [in social care], it’s a challenging and stressful role but you get a lifetime of experience speaking to older generations, it shapes your life.

“It is not just a career, it’s a fulfilment of understanding how you can be a better person, how you can live in society and meet different people. It is not about money: the wealth of knowledge and the people you find is amazing.”

In the context of a staffing crisis in adult social care, Ms Makalo said it was vital workers are treated well and “feel safe and secure”.

“Although there is a crisis, if they feel they’re better valued, better understood, that they have purpose in their area of work, people will come and work for you,” she said.

The award was presented by Tina Jegede, who works with the Town Hall to assure the quality of care in Islington care homes.

Ms Jegede said she had nominated Ms Makalo for the award, adding it had been “a real joy” to work with her. “I have learned to appreciate what it really means to care,” she said.

She said of Ms Makalo: “She runs this home with such exemplary practice. I have come here many a time and often I cry… because of the level of commitment I’ve witnessed.”

Meanwhile, Junction councillor Janet Burgess said she had seen the “phenomenal” work at Bridgeside Lodge while her late husband, who had dementia, spent some time at Bridgeside Lodge.

“From the moment I brought my husband in, I didn’t feel guilty at all because… what could be nicer? It’s a wonderful place,” Cllr Burgess said.