27 January, 2010
We are delighted to announce the winners of the Home Improvement Agency Awards 2009, sponsored by Stannah Stairlifts.
The awards provide national recognition of the commitment, vision and innovation embodied by the home improvement agency sector and promote home improvement agencies to wider stakeholders.
The independent judging panel arrived at their final decisions last week after much deliberation. The judging panel included representatives from Foundations, Communities and Local Government, the National Housing Federation and a public health specialist. The judges expressed that being involved in the awards this year was a valuable experience and has given them an insight into the best practice taking place in the sector and the highly committed staff who are making real improvements to the wellbeing of vulnerable people. The judges decided to make a joint award in the 'Agency of the year' category due to the very high standard of entries.
Congratulations to all winning and commended entrants and a heartfelt thanks to all who took the time and effort to enter this year.
The winners will be presented with their awards at a ceremony in the House of Commons on 1 March 2010.
Leeds' entry impressed the judges due to the sustainability of the agency's business planning and funding arrangements and the wide range of innovative products on offer to clients across the city. Their business development model also caught the judges' attention, as did the agency's approach to embedding innovation and client empowerment into their services.
The judges praised Lincolnshire Home Improvement Agency for the joint-working arrangements they have developed in a complex operating environment, as well as their approach to performance management and continuous improvement that demonstrates strong professionalism in a relatively new agency.
The judges praised Sandra's work to improve links between the home improvement agency and the health service, as well as driving forwards a pilot scheme to address fuel poverty and energy efficiency locally. Sandra's long-standing commitment to the home improvement agency sector was well evidenced by her nomination.
Jane received a commendation from the judges for her commitment to the wellbeing of home improvement agency clients. The entry showed that Jane is dedicated to ensuring positive outcomes for vulnerable people, even in difficult circumstances.
The judges were impressed by the steps Sunderland Home Improvement Agency have taken to modernise their approach to the adaptations process, for example, negotiating adaptations agreements and recycling equipment. Sunderland's application demonstrated a service that addresses the needs of individual clients and has the systems in place to monitor quality and delivery.
Lincolnshire Home improvement Agency was selected by the judges as the winning entry in the ‘Excellence in providing support and advice' category. The systems and processes the agency has in place to ensure the wellbeing of their clients and the strong partnership arrangements that complement this aspect of the agency's work impressed the judges.
The judges stated that this entry was an example of best practice, in particular the achievements the service has produced through its training programme and the strong partnerships the handyperson service has with other agencies. The excellent understanding of the value of the handyperson service displayed in the entry also demonstrated to the judges that this was a winning service.
Blackpool Care and Repair received a commendation in this category. The judges noted that this handyperson service is an excellent example of a sustainable funding model and that the systems in place are effective but flexible. The agency's handyperson service is a core element of the agency's strategy for engaging with health and care, which has proved so successful.
The judges were impressed by the range of programmes Blackpool Care and Repair manage that engage with health partners and the strategic and comprehensive approach the agency takes to engaging with health and care. The agency delivers against both adult social care and NHS Blackpool agendas around falls prevention, adaptations, health promotion and independent living through the Sustainable Communities Strategy and the Local Area Agreement.
Salford Home Improvement Agency was selected for a commendation in this category. The agency has developed a highly successful ‘Navigator Service’. The Navigator service works independently with individuals, and in unison with health and social care professionals to help sustain independence for individuals in the community, preventing them entering long-term or residential support.
The judges were impressed by the approach to commissioning HIA services demonstrated in this entry, which is changing the nature of services that support vulnerable people to live independently across Warwickshire. Warwickshire's approach to commissioning uses First Stop, Future HIA and ‘Lifetime homes, lifetime neighborhoods' as the basis for rebuilding services across the county in a way that puts preventative services and support for choice at the centre.
The Special Recognition Award enables us to recognise individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the home improvement agency sector over a sustained period of time. We would like to recognise the contributions Sir George Young has made to the HIA sector, with particular reference to the Foundations Independent Living Trust (FILT).
Sir George has been Chair of FILT since its inception in 2003. The leadership and experience Sir George has provided has helped to raise the profile of the Trust and to generate donations. Without this support the charity would have struggled to establish and maintain the Hardship Fund. In 2009 Sir George was instrumental in obtaining emergency funding for the Hardship Fund from Communities and Local Government to ensure that assistance for vulnerable people who need home repairs and adaptations continues in the difficult financial climate we are currently experiencing.
The Awards pages of the Foundations website will be updated with further information on the awards ceremony and successful entries over the coming weeks.
