CARE home staff who isolated away from their families to look after their users during the first lockdown have been nominated for a Proud of Barnsley award.

The carers at Jubilee House, in Royston, have been praised for their selflessness during the pandemic after the group decided to sleep in tents at the home to safely care for the residents.

Staff spent two weeks away from their loved ones when the country first went into lockdown but were able to still care for those who have learning difficulties at the home.

Sellwane Mongake, the manager at Jubilee House, told the Chronicle: “It was definitely a worrying time for us at the home.

“It was a hard decision for us to make, especially with many of our staff having small children, but everyone was so selfless and agreed to the decision.

“We slept in tents and our offices for 14 days which was quite a different experience but was so important.

“Our top priority was the safety of our residents and staff so we tried to manage as best as we could.

“A lot of users have autism and learning difficulties, so we spent a lot of time trying to adapt how we operated.

“We spent time explaining the coronavirus and the importance of wearing masks.

“We became our own little family in a way and all came together as a team to pull through the difficult times along with our users.”

The team’s selflessness has landed them a nomination in the Exceptional Achievement category at this year’s Proud of Barnsley awards.

“It’s absolutely fantastic to be nominated for this award.

“It goes to show that every small thing we do has a beneficial affect on those we care for.

“I’m forever thankful for our amazing staff members who sacrificed times with their family to care for our users.

“Thank you for nominating us for this award. We can’t believe it.”