A CARE agency based in St Lawrence has been recognised as one of the top ten in the East of England in a national award.

Nightingale Services, based in Wick Farm Road, was recognised by online agencies guide Home Care as one of the best care providers in the region.

Home Care based its decision from client feedback over the past three years, between April 2014 and last month.

In that time Nightingale’s care has been given top marks by every review left on Home Care’s website.

The service, which looks after between 60 and 70 clients on the Dengie and in Maldon, received the award last weekend.

Manager Kathy Smither was delighted for her staff to get the recognition.

She said: “In this area in particular I think there are a lot of people who need help. It is a very isolated area of the country and we are pleased to be able to offer support to people who need it.

“I think our care is really good and it is really great to get this recognition for it. I am very pleased, and in particular I am very pleased for our carers. They do a really great job and it is nice to be able to show them this award.

“Three generations of our family have been working at Nightingale. We have been here for 23 years helping people in the area.

“We cover the Dengie and Maldon, and try to fit out work around what people need. We look after elderly people, people with learning disabilities and people with dementia.

“We go down to them in the morning, get them up, was them, dress them, give them some breakfast, anything they need really. We don’t say no if we can do it.

"My daughter went to a woman at 12.50am one time because she thought she hadn’t had a call. What had actually happened was she had been put to bed, had woken up early and thought it was a new day.”

Kathy’s granddaughter, Lauren, posted the news on Facebook with a copy of the certificate, and more rave reviews came flooding in.

Kathy added: “I don’t have Facebook myself, but my granddaughter really wanted to put the news on there, so she did. The responses she has got from the post have been great.

“She has been reading them out to me and its been nice hearing what people have been saying.”