* Bethan Mascarenhas outside the Old Vicarage care home.
An actress, singer and storyteller
who switched from a career in the theatre to become one of the youngest care
home owners in Wales has won a top award.
Bethan Mascarenhas, now 33, was
chosen by the Worshipful Company of Tallow Chandlers to receive its City and
Guilds Livery Company Prize for 2023 for her outstanding commitment.
The honour came hot on the heels of
what Bethan described as a ‘baptism of fire’ after she took on the Old Vicarage
Care Home at Llangollen with her brother Richard just a few months before the
Covid pandemic struck.
She had to dig deep to find the
steely resilience and determination needed to lead her team through the crisis
when she was only in her late twenties.
Bethan channelled reserves of energy
she never knew she had and also took on the extra challenge of studying for a
Level 5 management certification during the pandemic lockdown – and qualified
with flying colours.
She says that was thanks to the
unstinting support she received from her partner, her parents, her care team at
the Old Vicarage and her tutors at Pendine Academy of Social Care, which is the
training arm of the award-winning Pendine Park care organisation in Wrexham.
Pendine Academy assessor Jenna Evans
who nominated Bethan for the award said her dedication to her leadership role
and her resolve to always go the extra mile was formidable.
The City and Guilds Livery Company
Prize is one of the most prestigious accolades given by the City and Guilds
Foundation.
It was presented to Bethan by the
Lord Mayor of London Alderman Nicholas Lyons at a ceremony and lunch at Mansion
House in the City of London.
She took her partner, IT professional
Nick Palmer, to the presentation and they spent a deserved short break in
London to celebrate.
Bethan knew nothing about the
nomination until she heard she had won.
She said: “It was the surprise of my
life. Gaining the qualification in itself was already a reward in my eyes. But
I feel so touched to have even been nominated, never mind won this award. It’s
a huge honour.”
Bethan grew up surrounded by elderly
residents in a care facility run by her parents Ken and Carol Mascarenhas who
own Abbey Dingle Care Home in Llangollen.
She said: “It was a great way to grow up and made me realise from an early age how joyful being around elderly people can be. They all have such fascinating life-stories and I was constantly inspired by so many of the residents I became friends with.”
She believes it was living in that
richly creative environment which led to her going into the arts.
After school she attended the Royal
Central School of Speech and Drama in London and eventually set up her own
touring theatre company delivering music and performance shows to audiences
across the country.
She said: “Often we would perform for
vulnerable society members. We would work with Arts in Health, Age UK and
community theatre groups. I think my creative background and lifelong love of
music was a massive source of strength helping see us through what were five of
the most challenging years of our lives.”
Bethan was in her late twenties when
she and her brother took on the Old Vicarage care home. She admits is was a big
decision, made even more daunting when they found themselves confronting Covid
as well, but she has never regretted the career switch.
She said: “It really was a baptism of
fire for us trying to keep our residents safe through such an unprecedented and
scary crisis. But we were determined to get through and put our residents’
wellbeing at the forefront of everything we did.
“That is why I decided to study for
my Level 5 Management Qualification in the middle of it all. I felt I needed to
be armed with as much knowledge as possible and learn the leadership skills to
equip me to deal with the mountainous challenges we faced. It gave me the
increased confidence and ability required to make informed and educated
decisions.
“I am registered as the responsible
adult at our care home and that meant I was the one our staff would turn to for
leadership. I wanted to do that positively, and from the front.
“It was a hard ask studying during
such critical times but I am so glad I did it.”
She also drew on her theatrical
background to keep residents entertained and to help quell their anxiety during
lockdown.
She said: “We came up with all sorts
of ideas to reduce the isolation of lockdown. I used numerous of the skills I
learned at arts school but I would also ask our residents and staff for ideas
of activities which they would like to do and we would do anything which was
within the realms of possibility whether it be storytelling sessions,
gardening, listening to music together or holding mini indoor picnics. We did
it all and we managed to keep Covid out of the home all the way through until
2022, well after the vaccinations programme had begun.”
Bethan was hugely grateful for the
support of both her mentor Jenna and Pendine Park Academy lead assessor Ann
Serridge who made themselves available at any time of the day for advice and
moral support through the crisis.
She said: “They became good friends
as well as trusted confidantes and tutors. I will be forever grateful for their
support.”
Jenna praised Bethan’s work ethic,
knowledge and compassion for her role as a manager.
She said: “Bethan has shown
outstanding progression while completing her Level 5 management qualification
during lockdown.
“I nominated her for this award so
that others could see the incredible commitment she has shown during that time
while also ensuring the wellbeing of individuals and staff in her care home.
She is an amazing woman, manager and home owner.
“I am so very proud that she has been
selected for this award, it is very well deserved.”
After a strenuous few years Bethan is
now taking a temporary step back from her full time management role. She is
still in constant touch with the home, its residents and all her staff, but she
has decided to study for further qualifications to further underpin her
leadership role.
She is part way through a year-long
Master of Sciences degree in psychology with Chester University.
She said: “After my Level 5 I did a
course on counselling. I found it so interesting that I knew immediately that I
wanted to learn more about psychology.
“It will really help give me a deeper
sight into the thought processes and needs of people dealing with emotions like
fear, stress or anxiety as they enter a new phase in their lives or have to
cope with issues such as dementia and memory loss.”
