A hugely respected nurse has done her son proud after scooping a prestigious care sector accolade.

Senior nurse Julie Beresford, of Wrexham, was presented with a bronze honour at the prestigious Wales Care Awards.

She declared it was as much a tribute to her loving son, Josh, as it is to her.

Julie is hailed as a great role model by fellow staff at the Pendine Park care organisation in Wrexham where she works at their Bodlondeb care home.

She was nominated for Independent Sector Nurse of the Year by Bodlondeb manager Ann Chapman who praised Julie’s unfaltering work ethic and dedication to training newcomers.

Julie spoke emotionally of her deep gratitude to Josh, now 38, who has supported her throughout her career.

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She said: “He has helped me so much over the years that any recognition I receive is as much his as it is mine.

"There were times when he was in his teens when I might be late home and he would have to get his own tea, or do housework but he never complained. He always got behind me whatever I was doing.”

Julie, 70, was delighted to make it to the final shortlist out of dozens of contenders at the awards which are dubbed the ‘Oscars’ of social care.

She has been at Bodlondeb 11 years but worked with Pendine Park earlier in her career before taking a break to train as a teacher and study child psychology, social psychology and mental health care.

Mario Kreft, chairman of Care Forum Wales, said the ceremony was all the more poignant because of the Covid pandemic and what front line staff had endured.

He said: “I would like to pay a heartfelt tribute to all the wonderful people who work in social care after they rose magnificently and courageously to meet the unprecedented challenges they have faced over the past couple of years.

“We have always recognised their true value and hopefully now the rest of Wales is also aware of how lucky we are as a nation to  have them providing care and safeguarding our most vulnerable people.

“We take our hats off to them.”