Priory Chief Executive Rebekah Cresswell attended a reception hosted by Their Majesties The King and Queen at Windsor Castle last week to highlight the inspirational work of carers and the adult social care sector.
The event, held on Wednesday evening (11 February), brought together individuals and representatives from providers, charities and community groups, as well as other organisations which support paid and unpaid carers across the UK.
Their Majesties were joined by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Lady Starmer, alongside The Duchess of Edinburgh and The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
Image: King Charles and Ms Rebekah Cresswell
Ms Cresswell attended as a guest of Care England, the representative body for independent adult social care providers, in recognition of Priory’s role within the sector and its contribution to supporting working-age adults with complex needs.
The event highlighted the scale and importance of caring across the UK, with the adult social care sector in England alone employing approximately 1.59 million people working across care, nursing, social work and support roles.
Meanwhile, the 2021 Census identified 5.8 million unpaid carers nationwide, with almost a third providing more than 50 hours of care each week.
In a message to guests, The King paid tribute to carers’ dedication, describing their work as representing “something profoundly valuable not just within our communities, but for humanity as a whole”.
Priory supports more than 1,800 working-age adults with complex mental health needs, learning disabilities, autism and long-term conditions across residential and supported living settings.
Attendance at the reception reflected the essential role adult social care plays within the wider health and social care landscape, with specialist residential and supported living services forming a critical part of community-based support and enabling individuals to live safely and independently.
It was a great honour and privilege to attend this event on behalf of Priory, meet colleagues, have the opportunity to meet the King and Queen, and to see social care being honoured at the highest levels in the country. I would like to thank Care England for the work it does to bring focus to the sector.
Professor Martin Green, Chief Executive of Care England, said: “The Windsor Castle reception, hosted by Their Majesty’s the King and Queen was an opportunity to celebrate the outstanding contribution social care makes to our society. It was great to have Rebekah attend the event with us and receive recognition for the outstanding contribution that Priory makes to supporting people with complex needs.”