Monmouthshire County Council is in the running for two top awards for its innovative work that is transforming social care in the community.
Two of its projects have made the list of finalists for the Social Care Accolades 2011 announced yesterday (May 3rd) which celebrate good practice in the social care sector.
The council’s work to improve support and guidance for young people with a disability moving into adulthood has been recognised in the ‘Learning Together’ category.
The ‘Your Life, Your Choices’ project aims to help young people, aged 14-25, have more choice and control in planning for their future and provide the necessary support to make this happen.
Its innovative project, interviewing service users to find out what skills and values they believe make the perfect social worker, is also up for an Accolade in the ‘Social Workers for Tomorrow’ category.
The work improved engagement with service users and the feedback identified areas for performance improvement to better meet their needs.
The winners of the Accolades will be selected from 21 projects from across Wales and announced in a ceremony at Cardiff City Hall on June 23, 2011.
Arwel Ellis Owen, Chair of the Social Care Accolades judging panel, said: “We were delighted to receive a record number of entries to the Social Care Accolades this year and it will be even more difficult than usual to select the winners this time round.
“The high standard of entries from all areas of Wales demonstrates that service users are benefiting from well designed and successful improvements to give them the best possible experience and support.
“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.
“The Accolades are an opportunity to celebrate good practice and to ensure that it is spread to others which in turn improves services for users across Wales.”
With more than 70 entries received, the highest since the Accolades began, the judging panel had the tough task of selecting 21 finalists in the eight award categories.
The biennial awards, which are led by the Care Council for Wales, are presented to organisations that have improved 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 across Wales.
The judging panel for 2011 was made up of officers from the Care Council and representatives from the Association of Directors of Social Services Cymru; British Association of Social Workers; Care Forum Wales; the National Leadership and Innovation Agency for Healthcare; the Social Care Institute for Excellence; the Wales Council for Voluntary Action; and the Welsh Local Government Association.
