The chief executive of a Welwyn Garden City-based carers organisation has received an OBE for services to the adult social care sector.

Sharon Davies of Hertfordshire Care Providers Association was named in the Queen's New Year's Honours List in recognition of her work with the organisation since 2010.

When the pandemic hit HCPA launched a pioneering 24/7 helpline for care providers across the county, offering a lifeline to people struggling with issues such as obtaining PPE and staffing issues.

Sharon, who lives in Stevenage, said: "I feel this award is for everyone who works and supports social care in Hertfordshire, because it is together that we have worked to ensure the most vulnerable people have been supported to live their best lives.

"My work for the last 20 years has been focussed on raising quality, sharing best practice and on providing the very best cutting-edge education to those who work on the front line of care and to those who lead our amazing care services.

"I have been humbled by the way that care providers have come to us to ask for support and guidance and never more so than in the pandemic.

"During these last two years my team and I have worked tirelessly to interpret guidance, ensure there is face-to-face - sometimes now via Zoom - interactive education and hold the hands of people who have been, day in day out, putting their own lives at risk.

"This OBE is for Hertfordshire and for everyone who works in social care. I may have led the organisation that provided the support, but it is our care professionals who have embraced the offer and used the knowledge we have given them to care for mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers and sons and daughters."

Other local recipients of honours include MBEs for Hatfield resident Pretty Nkiwane, social care and service manager for Hertfordshire Children Services, in recognition of her work in children's social care during the pandemic, and Christopher Ryan, from Welwyn, for services to wheelchair rugby.