Barchester Healthcare’s CEO, Dr Pete Calveley, has been named Influencer of the Year 2021 by RoSPA. The prestigious title is awarded to those who have made the biggest impact in health and safety, either at work or in the community, in the past 12 months.
After one of the worst years the health and social care sector has ever faced, Dr Calveley has been honoured with this award for his exemplary leadership. A prominent figure in the health and social care industry for over 25 years, Dr Calveley is a pioneer in the sector and has used his expertise to calmly and considerately lead Barchester Healthcare through the pandemic with resident safety always at the forefront of his decision making. He has also been hugely influential more broadly throughout the Covid crisis and is widely acknowledged for having spearheaded the call for mandatory vaccination for care workers in order to protect the most vulnerable members of society. His campaigning and early implementation at Barchester resulted in a change in the law – all care workers are now legally required to be vaccinated against Covid.
The RoSPA awards are internationally-recognised and are awarded to companies and individuals for demonstrating high health and safety standards. Barchester Healthcare has itself been honoured with an award for seven consecutive years. Organisations receiving a RoSPA Award are recognised as being world-leaders in health and safety practice. Every year, nearly 2,000 entrants vie to achieve the highest possible accolade in what is the UK’s longest-running H&S industry awards.
Dr Pete Calveley comments: “The health and safety of our residents and staff is paramount at Barchester, and our staff work tirelessly to achieve the best hygiene and infection control standards possible. I am delighted to accept these awards on behalf of all the brilliant people who make up Barchester and who have gone above and beyond to deliver the most excellent care, in the most difficult of circumstances over the past 16 months.”
Julia Small, RoSPA’s achievements director, said: “The RoSPA Awards scheme is the longest-running of its kind in the UK, but it receives entries from organisations across the globe, making it one of the most sought-after achievement awards for health and safety worldwide.
“RoSPA is very proud of the achievements of its entrants, and with this award we recognise the best of the best, those organisations and individuals that have gone the extra mile, raising the bar for the delivery of safety in the workplace. Employees, wherever they may be should be able to go to work safe in the knowledge that they will return home unharmed and healthy at the end of every day. Our RoSPA Award winners are central to achieving this goal. By entering they are driving up standards and setting new safety benchmarks for organisations across the world.”
