Social Care News

15th December 2010

Calling shining examples of social care teams for 2011 awards

A Time To Shine - Launch of Social Care Accolades 2011

The search is now on for high performing teams and organisations in the Welsh social care sector to have their work recognised by entering the 2011 Social Care Accolades.

Led by the Care Council for Wales, the biennial awards are a national showcase for excellence and celebrate good practice across Wales.

The Accolades, which are now being held for the fourth time, will be awarded to teams, partnerships and organisations who have transformed social care services by investing in the learning and development of people.

The winning work is then shared with other organisations in learning workshops helping to raise standards in the sector across Wales.

Care Council for Wales Chief Executive Rhian Huws Williams said, “This is the social care workforce’s time to shine and we would urge teams, groups and organisations from across Wales to take advantage of this opportunity to highlight the good work that they do in providing vital services to so many people.

“The aim of the Accolades is to uncover, acknowledge and celebrate good practice that has helped transform social care services.

“Winning an Accolade is not only a recognition of achievement but enables best practice to be spread to others which in turn improves services for users and carers across Wales.”

Around five per cent of the total workforce in Wales is involved in some form of social care, equivalent to a workforce of around 88,000, working with people of all ages who have different needs.

The Social Care Accolades have nine categories and are open to all teams, groups or organisations across the whole social care sector in Wales; private, voluntary or statutory agencies.

Services can be residential or community-based, large or small; working with children or adults.

Entries that support the aims of the Welsh Assembly Government ten year social care strategy to modernise services and provide more accessible, personalised care for people are encouraged.

The nine categories for 2011 are;

· Effective recruitment and retention

· Learning together

· Maintaining independence

· Supporting effective intervention with children and their families

· Career of choice

· Users and carers shaping services

· Social workers for tomorrow

· Improving Welsh Language provision

· Supporting people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds

Gwenda Thomas AM, Deputy Minister for Social Services, who supports the Accolades said, “We know that high quality social care services can transform people’s lives for the better, through working directly with individuals and families and in their communities.

“They are indeed making a real difference to the quality of life for many vulnerable people and they deserve to be recognised and commended for the work they do.

“The Social Care Accolades bring the very best of this work to the attention of everyone and I would urge those providers of care from all over Wales to seriously consider submitting an entry for these prestigious awards."

Application packs for the Social Care Accolades are available from the Care Council for Wales website www.ccwales.org.uk or by contacting Denise French on 02920 780687.

The deadline for entries is February 4, 2011 and the winners will be announced in a special ceremony in Cardiff City Hall on June 23, 2011.

*For further information, please contact Alison Watkins on 07854 386054 or e-mail Alison.watkins@ccwales.org.uk  or info@alisonwatkinscommunications.com