SARH ‘Guardian Angel’ receives award

Health and Safety consultant Lisa McCaulder has been named a ‘Guardian Angel’ for her work with Stafford and Rural Homes (SARH).

The accolade from RoSPA recognises the often overlooked work of individuals who go the extra mile to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the people they work with and Lisa was nominated by SARH Chief Executive, Karen Armitage.

“The Guardian Angel award came as a huge surprise and wasn’t something I pursued or expected,” said Lisa. “I help all SARH employees to take responsibility for health and safety. It’s a real honour to be recognised in this way, especially as it’s so unusual for a client to nominate an external consultant.”

Prior to becoming an independent consultant, Lisa worked as a health and safety inspector for a number of years before going into industry and holding senior posts in the Rail and Construction sectors. She is a Chartered Member of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH).

In nominating her for the award – that was presented to Lisa at the ExCel Exhibition Centre in London – Karen turned to poetry to express the organisation’s gratitude for all her hard work and expertise.

The poem reads:

Your attention is kindly drawn, in your search for a Guardian Angel, to one of our very own.

Introducing Lisa McCaulder, who came to Stafford and Rural, on a self-employed loan. We had no idea when we wrote an advertisement, searching for help in our quest to keep ROSPA Gold.

That we would find a fun loving knowledgeable ‘angel’, of which there is much to be told.

In the housing world now more than ever, prevention in Health and Safety is owned by us all.

That real quality knowledge and application join together to help reduce hazards, slips trips or fall.

There is such a feeling of calm that comes from Lisa when a challenging situation does arise.

Never one to get upset panicked or angry and never ever does she over dramatise.

Lisa shares experience and advice in learning models that customers and staff can access.

She helps continually to assist in finding solutions when asked to “help resolve a little problem or mess”.

When met with garlands and paper decorations as part of a celebratory competition or two.

She calmly advises “are they fireproof” and can I assist with a safe tip or two.

There is lots of little stories to tell about Lisa and her love of wine, dogs and little sporty cars.

But Lisa works hard to make more accessible a world of knowledge embedded in Health and Safety Tzars. With fun a laugh and a challenge Lisa can often turn a real crisis into calm.

And ensuring we are all working together to prevent and reduce risk of accident or harm.

We have a ‘guardian angel’ helping people help themselves find solutions and to properly plan.

To get real buy in and understanding of the responsibilities and encourage us to know that we can.

In a time when nationally there was a real tragedy and questions asked about investment in homes.

Lisa worked hard to reassure staff, customers and others that prevention is embedded in work like epitomes.

Bringing Lisa to Stafford and Rural was an excellent strategic and responsible decision. We needed somebody with Strategic knowledge and planning to ensure our continued Health and Safety provision.

Lisa has been an angel to all who work with her bringing reassurance and calm to us all.

She deserves to be a ROSPA guardian angel but ‘watch out’ as she knows how to have a ball.