An Essex care home manager has been honoured with a lifetime achievement award after 25 years of dedicated service.

Jackie Morrison, of Colchester's Caring Homes Group, was awarded the gong during the firm's Recognition Awards.

Former Strictly Come Dancing star Brendan Cole was on hand to present the award which Ms Morrison earned for her excellent ability to engage people, manage strategy, roles, performance, development, energy and happiness to sustain and transform care services.

MORE: Suffolk hotel and golf course named family business of the yearThe awards gala provided Caring Homes Group the opportunity to celebrate its 25th year in business by recognising the hard work of colleagues and teams within its 5,700-strong workforce.

From humble beginnings the group now operates 64 Caring Homes for the elderly and 87 'Consensus' learning disability services.

Caring Homes Group CEO Paul Jeffery added: "It is very important that we celebrate success, not only of our finalists but also the successes achieved every day by thousands of our colleagues caring for some of the most vulnerable in our society.

"I am extremely proud that in our 25th year we are all colleagues, a team, a family."