Helen meets carers and residents at Shropshire home for exploitation victims

MP Helen Morgan praised “wonderful” carers for their selfless work as she met residents and staff at a home for exploitation victims in Shropshire.

The North Shropshire MP visited Serene House where she joined residents, workers and local stakeholders who support the home for afternoon tea.

Helen also got to meet the resident horse and his owner, see schoolwork completed by the young residents and learn how staff approach the care of young people in the home.

Serene House was one of 1,500 care homes across the UK participating in Care Home Open Week from 27th June to 3rd July 2022 – aimed at encouraging communities to engage with care home residents and the exceptional professionals who care for them.

MP Helen Morgan said: “I attended an event at a local care home that provides one-to-one care for girls who are victims of criminal or sexual exploitation.

“The staff here are inspirational in their commitment to deal with the trauma these young women have suffered, as was the resilience and determination of these young residents.

“It was very upsetting to hear about the awful abuse many of the girls have suffered but it was extremely heartwarming to see what a fantastic job the care team are doing.

“Carers do selfless, wonderful work every day of the year. They are kind, considerate and – like the name suggests – caring.”

Sian Thomas Jones, home manager, said: “We were proud to open our home for the new local MP for Shropshire, she has taken on a big task and will need a lot of resilience, like my staff to complete the tasks ahead of her.

“We are part of the community Helen is working for and we want to show our support to her but also help her in learning what we are trying to achieve for the community and the young people we support in our service.

“Helen took her time to speak to staff and our young people and it was very noticeable how much she cares about our work and how she can support us.

“This was a really good opportunity with it being Care home open week 2022 it’s our hope that the relationships forged this week will last long beyond Care Home Open Week.”

Led by Championing Social Care, a volunteer-led group of leaders from across the social care sector, this year’s event aimed to celebrate the value of social care, and drive recovery from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic amid increasing reliance on the sector and widespread staff shortages.

A spokesman said: “This year’s event wouldn’t have been possible without our two committed sponsors, CIVITAS Investment Management and Virgin Money, who provide vital support to the programme.”