Mansfield carer's ‘calm and decisive action’ saved life of elderly client during house fire

Home carer Lisa Cranston has won the Care & Support Worker of the year award from Caremark UK Ltd during its annual awards, held on February 26. She was one of 6,000 Caremark carers nationwide and one in 12 nominated for the top award.

Lisa, 51, from Mansfield, was nominated for ‘working tirelessly’ throughout the pandemic often doing extra shifts when colleagues were self-isolating and also during her own family tragedy.

He son Perry Cranston sustained a brain injury after an assault in Feburary last year, outside Rush night club on Clumber Street. Lisa cared for him as well as her elderly and vulnerable clients in Mansfield.

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The mum of four and grandma to three also jumped into action when she found one of her elderly clients in a smoke-filled room and her bin engulfed in flames.

Lisa, who has been a home carer in Mansfield for two years, said: “I’d seen my client earlier and had gone to see another one further along the street. I was walking back to my car and a neighbour shouted about an alarm going off.

"It was a fire alarm, I went into the flat, opened her lounge door, she was slumped in her chair, the bin was on fire, and room thick with smoke. I made sure the client was OK, picked up the bin, dropped it in the bath and ran round opening windows.

"It was lucky I was in the right place at the right time. I only did what anyone would do.”

The former Sherwood Hall School pupil previously worked for Boots in Mansfield, but now sees up to 10 clients a day as a carer.

“I wanted a job that was rewarding, and being a carer you build a rapport with clients and you get to know the families and its nice and you know you are helping people.”

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Simon Ford managing director of Caremark (Mansfield and Ashfield) said: “Lisa is a one of a team of carers who is always a person who goes above and beyond the call of duty.”