Camille Leavold, CEO of Abbots Care, has been awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire in the King’s Birthday Honours List, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to homecare over the past three decades.
The honour comes as Abbots Care, Hertfordshire County Council’s lead provider of homecare services, celebrates its 30th year of operation.
Camille said: “This has been a complete surprise, and I am utterly thrilled first of all that a leader in the caring profession has been recognised in this way, because social care is a crucial part of a caring society and is becoming ever more critical to us all every day, as the population ages.
“On a personal level I am deeply honoured, and proud, to accept this award, but it belongs to every care worker who shows up every day for those who need us most. This award is for them – the people on the front line of care, providing dignity, comfort and companionship in homes across the UK. Our sector is under incredible pressure, but it is also full of incredible people.”
Under Camille’s leadership, the organisation has grown from a family-run business founded by Camille, her mother and her sister, into a multi-regional care provider delivering essential support across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and Dorset.
Today, Abbots Care employs 600 care workers, delivering more than 7,500 home visits each week to more than 1,300 clients.
In the past year alone, Abbots Care has seen a 66 per cent increase in calls to its Hertfordshire HQ and a 54 per cent rise in private client enquiries º a stark reflection of the escalating demand for home-based care.