Home Page > Safety in Care Awards June 2012

National Association for Safety and Health
in Care Services  

Industry celebrates excellence in care health and safety

Care sector health and safety professionals from across the UK united in celebration as dedication and excellence in their field was recognised and rewarded at the NASHiCS Safety in Care Awards 2012.

Now in its second year, the awards programme has been fully embraced by the care health and safety sector attracting a host of strong and worthy nominations.  The awards dinner, which took place on Wednesday 27 June 2012, has quickly become an important and popular feature of the annual NASHiCS National Learning & Development Forum. 

Chris Jackson, National Chair, NASHiCS, comments:  “Recently, it seems that all headlines relating to the social care sector are damning.  This makes the NASHiCS Safety in Care Awards scheme so very important for our sector.  It highlights the fantastic work that is being done across the UK and gives all care health and safety professionals a reason and opportunity to celebrate and feel proud of the work they do.  The standard of entries for this year’s awards was simply outstanding and my sincere congratulations go to the deserved winners, and also the shortlisted finalists.”

The 2012 NASHiCS Safety in Care Awards winners:

• Company or Individual of the Year Award – The Abbey Metal Team, Flintshire County Council

The judges were full of praise for the metal fabrication and light engineering placement for adults with learning disabilities, which is part of Flintshire County Councils’ Day Opportunities Service and also operates on the open market.  The judges admired the application for showing the positive side of health and safety and enabling service users to carry on participating in a life-enhancing activity they enjoy, in the safest way practicable.

• Learning & Training Award – Paul Westwick, Health & Safety Manager, Lifeways Group, Nottinghamshire

The judges highly commended the fire training DVD, produced in partnership with The West Midlands Fire Service, ‘Working Together for a Safer Home’, describing it as an innovative approach to tackling fire safety issues that can occur with individuals who have specialist or complex needs living in their own homes.  The judges were also impressed with the quality of the individuals featured in the DVD as each brought their own experiences into the messages, which provided a realistic training intervention that many trainees would associate with.  They also felt the package could easily transfer to other similar environments.

• Best Practice Award – Staff & Management Team, Friars Lodge, Dunstable

A radical overhaul of how Friars Lodge carries out activities scooped the team the Best Practice Award.  Over the past 12 months a number of feedback initiatives involving service users were introduced, resulting in noticeable changes.  Residents now have much greater access to food choice, mail services, and trips away, and are overall enjoying a friendlier homely environment.  Judges were impressed with how the analysis of a long-term situation was transformed into a pro-active initiative that ultimately led to improved standards.

Chris Jackson concludes:  “The NASHiCS Safety in Care Awards dinner was just one of the fantastic elements of our 2012 National Learning & Development Forum.  This year’s event proved another great success.  Our action-packed programme of guest speakers, panel discussions, breakout sessions and exhibition once more provided the latest information, skills, advice and perspectives to enable delegates to rise above the pressures of scrutiny and continue to deliver excellence in their field.”

Presentations were made by Karen McDonnell Vice President IOSH and RoSPA (Scotland).
 

Worthy Finalists