British Empire Medal awarded to council care manager

A Carmarthenshire County Council residential care manger has been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for her services to care during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Frontline worker Lyndsay McNicholl was awarded the British Empire Medal after the Queen offered special recognition to Coronavirus heroes on her birthday.

Lyndsay who has been in the caring profession for over 20 years is manager at Llys Y Bryn Residential Home in Llanelli and has been for the past 10 years.

As soon as the country went into lockdown in March Lyndsay immediately took action to ensure that all residents received consistent and first-class care and worked with her staff around the clock in extremely challenging circumstances.

She worked closely with families of residents to ensure they were kept fully informed and maintained contact with their loved ones via the telephone or Facetime.

Lyndsay also took personal responsibility for sharing the tragic news with families that their loved ones had sadly passed away.

During all of this, she also juggled her home life and personal development – working from home whilst isolating when her partner tested positive and studying to gain a first Class Honours Degree in social care studies, awarded by University of Wales Trinity Saint David.

The council’s Executive Board Member for Social Care, Cllr Jane Tremlett, said: “What Lyndsay and all our frontline staff in the care sector have been doing, and continue to do, since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic is nothing short of extraordinary. Often putting themselves and their families at risk so that they continue to care for our most vulnerable people – at one stage caring for more people affected by the virus than many of our acute hospitals.

“Lyndsay is one of many of our carers that are truly shining examples of their profession and I am delighted that she has been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. We are enormously proud and can’t thank Lyndsay and her colleagues in the care sector enough.”

Lyndsay said: “I feel honoured and humbled to have been awarded this medal – I am still speechless and struggling to find the words to say how I feel right now.

“I must emphasise that I accept this award on behalf of everyone who has worked tirelessly in care and support services, not just through Covid-19 but every day – they truly are superheroes. During my career in care I have met so many amazing and inspirational people that I feel very blessed.

“I am extremely thankful that I found a vocation that I truly love and enjoy. I work with an amazing team of people who I admire, and they make my job easy. I honestly couldn’t do what I do without each and every one of them. I feel very proud of our care and support services within Carmarthenshire County Council.”