Justine Hallam – Unsung Hero Awards

Nomination

Award Category:

Mental Wellness Champion

Individual or Team Nomination?

Individual

Qualifying Qualities

In these challenging times, nominators were asked to show how the nominee had demonstrated the following qualities:

Exceptional work ethic - going above and beyond their job description, especially in the past 12 months.
Outstanding achievement/s in work or outside of the organisation where relevant.
Drive for innovation and proactive leadership in these challenging times.
High level of interpersonal skills, such as kindness, empathy, loyalty and thoughtfulness to staff and patients.
A resilience considering Covid to their role and to the health and wellbeing of their colleagues.

Nominators Answer

Nominee's story :

Justine Hallam is my wife and she is a very special person. The phrase juggling plates is a massive understatement for this clever, committed, passionate and caring person. Six years ago, she started a small business with hardly any cash, no overdraft and no customers after leaving her job, after being told that she could not extend her role into the community from a retirement complex. She was initially promised she would be doing so. Undeterred, she set about setting up Mae Interventions, a holistic, social interventions company, which was poo-pooed by many people and could not be regulated by the CQC. After six years of trading supporting many families with Mae Interventions, ( Justine has burnt the candle at both ends work-wise), now attained CQC registration for her sister company, Mae Care (Domiciliary care) and is trail blazing away with that new company. In between times, Justine set up a charity , namely Bloomin' Dementia,that is now submitting it's third year accounts. BD has helped over a thousand people, with a totally volunteer based staff, of which Justine is the charity chair (1174849). This is all in the name of supporting people with a diagnosis of all the different kinds of dementia, that are becoming more prevalent and recognised as time marches on. During this concerted period of activity over the last six years Justine has been the driving force behind all the three organisations and her qualifications (From Bradford University), her skills, empathy, experience and common sense has earned her respect and a real presence in the area of dementia care and social intervention. The charity and businesses have a real specialist knowledge in the area of dementia, provides financial support and statutory benefit accrual for those individuals with dementia, assessments, the provision of social inclusion, works with local government and health professionals, provides respite of key carers, organises social trips out and social gatherings locally, works with solicitors and other legal organisations for the benefit of the individuals with dementia and finally 'mans' a phone line that is open 24/7 for crisis and advice matters relating to dementia. During Covid19, Justine ramped up the provision of the charity in helping those isolated in the community due to the pandemic, despite a fall in custom for the two businesses due to lockdown, (thankfully customers have returned, with much more requirement). She selflessly provided flowers, lunch time meals, Sunday dinners, pop corn for 'cinema nights', cream teas, PPE, live socially distanced events, remote events via Zoom, more free assessments, more disabled badge accruals, more sensory aids, such as Amazon Dots, musical instruments, DAB Radios, train sets !!!, electric heaters, gardening services, shopping trips, fundraisers on-line, the list is endless. For four years of this six year crusade, Justine was also providing care for her sick father, (who sadly died a year last Christmas), after living with the two of us at at our home during that period. An amazing resourceful, hardworking and inventive person that deserves credit and an award.