This week, we had the absolute pleasure of celebrating one of our longest-standing and most admired team members — Margarita, who has been recognised with a Worcestershire Safeguarding Adults Board (WSAB) Award for Best Safeguarding Practice with Self-Neglect.
For those who know Margarita, this achievement will come as no surprise.
For those who haven’t had the joy of working alongside her — let us tell you why this recognition means so much.
A Familiar Face and a Steady Presence at Maggs
Margarita has been part of Maggs for over 10 years, working within our ITT (Intensive Tenancy/Trauma-informed support) team. She is one of those rare people who makes everyone around her feel grounded, supported and safe. Her colleagues describe her as:
- compassionate
- hardworking
- thoughtful
- calm under pressure
- universally respected
In fact, you’ll struggle to find a single person who has ever said anything about her that isn’t full of praise.
To many of the people we support, she is a lifeline.
To many members of staff, she is the quiet heart of the team.
What the Award Represents
Safeguarding individuals who self-neglect is deeply complex work. It requires:
- trust
- patience
- emotional intelligence
- persistence
- professional judgement
- and above all, compassion
Margarita demonstrates all of these every single day.
One of the other award participants shared words that resonated deeply across our team:
“It felt important that the homeless sector was recognised. We can be overlooked, but most of the time we hold so much of the risk.”
This statement captures something powerful.
The homelessness sector deals with some of the most challenging and high-risk situations across the county — often quietly, without public visibility or wider recognition. Margarita’s award shines a light on that work. It honours the skill, courage and humanity required to support people facing immense vulnerability.
And within that wider recognition, Margarita stands as a shining example.
A Decade of Difference
Over her ten years at Maggs, Margarita has:
- supported people experiencing crisis
- built trusting relationships with those who find trust difficult
- advocated tirelessly for those whose voices are often unheard
- worked alongside multi-agency partners to reduce risk and improve wellbeing
- embodied the values that Maggs has had at its core since the very beginning
Her impact cannot be measured purely in numbers — although she’s supported hundreds of individuals. It can be felt in the tone of her team, the stability she provides, and the quiet confidence with which she supports some of the most vulnerable adults in Worcestershire.
Pride Across the Maggs Community
Everyone at Maggs is immensely proud of Margarita.
This award is a testament not only to her professionalism, but to her kindness and her commitment.
It is also a moment of recognition for the entire homelessness sector — a reminder that the work done behind the scenes, sometimes late at night or early in the morning, truly matters. And that the people who do it are extraordinary.
From all of us at Maggs:
Congratulations, Margarita.
Your dedication changes lives.
We are honoured to have you as part of our team.
