The profoundly isolating impact of the Covid lockdowns has affected all of us this past couple of years, and the sudden changes in freedom, routine and contact with loved ones have been deeply challenging for us as individuals, as families, and communities.

It’s estimated that over 900 social care workers in England lost their lives to Covid in the first year of the pandemic. Across the country, support workers were working tirelessly to keep the people they supported safe and well in the face of sustained workplace pressure and stress. As often happens with adversity, remarkable reports of acts of kindness, bravery and creativity soon emerged - which meant alongside the NHS, social care became prominent in people’s minds in a way that hasn’t been seen before. 

We owe a huge debt to the social care support staff who put themselves in harm’s way to care for others. Who can forget those frightening first months of the pandemic, when so little was known about Covid and there were no established treatments or vaccines. Along with thousands of key workers across the country, they remained on the frontline while the rest of society was in lockdown and we will always be grateful for the courage they showed and the sacrifices they made.