Winners

Michael Taylor and Dougie Miller - Independent Living Services, Alva

Winner

Oversteps Care Home, Dornoch - CrossReach

Oversteps is a beautiful care home situated in Dornock set in its own private grounds, overlooking Dornock beach. Oversteps is part of CrossReach, offering care to 24 very special people who use services.

There is 35 staff employed in Oversteps with everyone working extremely hard to offer the highest quality of care to the people who use the service. Staff learn new skills in an endeavour to keep improving the service for 24 much-loved clients and to increase the excellent reputation.

Winner

Quarriers Internet club - Quarriers, Inverclyde

Quarriers first ‘Internet Club' set up in March 2009, is a community in which computer literacy and internet know-how is developed. Through a weekly session, new ways of learning, living and communicating are explored. Hand to eye co-ordination, concentration and memory capabilities have also increased in members and barriers have been broken down.

This is now a key activity in all members' care plans and since the group began 30% of the members purchased their own computer with the remaining 70% wanting one. To support this Quarriers partnered with a computer charity to purchase reconditioned machines and linked in with their IT department to provide ‘at home' support. The Internet Club has demonstrated how using technology ‘smartly' can develop potential, enhance lives and benefit all.

Winner

Redesign of Mental Health Services in Midlothian - Midlothian Council

Since the launch of a major redesign in April 2007, mental health services in Midlothian have been delivered as an integrated service by three key partner agencies, health, social work and the independent sector. With an underlying philosophy of early intervention and recovery, we aimed to improve quality of life, increase access to life opportunities and provide alternatives to hospital admissions.

We planned carefully, involving people who use services, carers and other partners and ensured that the plans meshed with the pan-Lothian Joint Mental Health and Well-being Strategy.

The redesign involving people who use services, carers and other partners was aimed at providing better outcomes for the people who use the services and their carers resulting in services being more focused and personalised. It has shifted the balance of care in Midlothian, from a more hospital based service to community care by transferring the resources to work in the community.

Winner

Meadowview - A Partnership in Practice in Transition to Adult Services - North Ayrshire Council

Meadowview is a unique service, home to four young people who have profound and multiple learning disabilities and complex health needs. Friends at the same residential school, where trained nurses and therapists met their complex needs had to change to adult services once they turned 18.

North Ayrshire Council, the local Community Learning and Disability Team and the provider formed a partnership to engage with the young people and their families. This resulted in the four friends sharing a home, Meadowview, just like other young people.

Winner

Aberlour Youthpoint - Aberlour Child Care Trust, Glasgow

Aberlour Youthpoint established an innovative youth work service operating in the south west of Glasgow. It provides a range of flexible and effective services for young people and is particularly focussed on involving the young people in reducing the incidence and effects of youth crime and anti-social behaviour. In doing so it tackles issues such as gang membership, drugs and alcohol and personal development. Youthpoint however, balances recognition of these very real problems with challenging the stereotypes and prejudices that exist about young people. Its philosophy is about reducing problems through diversion, increasing strengths and recognition of achievements.

Winner

Barnardo's Works - Barnardo's Scotland and Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE), Glasgow

Barnardo's Works is an innovative and successful programme that allows disadvantaged young people to achieve independent employment. Since 2007 Barnardo's Scotland has worked with Scottish and Southern Energy to offer jobs in a wider range of industry sectors, which has resulted in the sharing of skills, knowledge and resources from two different agencies, each playing to their strength.

The programme matches the skills and talents of young people to the needs of participating employers and young people are supported to overcome barriers to employment and access jobs that enable a route out of poverty. Over 80% of the young people involved achieve independent employment.

Winner

The Prevention of Homelessness Partnership - Glasgow City Council and South West Community Health Care Partnership with Govan Law Centre and Govan Money Matters Advice Centre

The Prevention of Homelessness Project was set up in 2005 through the collaboration of the partners involved to pilot section 11 of the Homelessness etc., (Scotland) Act 2003, (i).

The South West of Glasgow project's innovative and groundbreaking approach set up to achieve, and tasked with stopping possession and evictions and preventing homelessness through the provision of a package of support to the client. The package includes quality legal representation, money and benefits advice and access to specialised support services and dedicated coordination of support services. Over 1500 families and individuals have avoided becoming homeless since the project began.

Winner

HEC in Person Centred Approaches - Thistle Foundation, Edinburgh

Thistle Foundation's Higher Education Certificate in Person Centred Approaches training package allows staff to deliver quality support based on person centred principles. Workers are able to offer truly personalised support, are empowered to respond creatively, safely and thoughtfully placing people who use services at the centre.

Special commendation

Highland Home Carers

After becoming an employee-owned company, Highland Home Carers invested in a variety of training opportunities to suit staff needs and to increase their learning. This included staff completing SVQs, PDA Care Services and the Home Care Practice Licence.

Following this training initiative they have seen an increase in the numbers of staff commencing or achieving qualifications and the benefits can be seen in staff retention levels and the increase in skills and knowledge staff have in their practice. People who use services are now better involved in the process and consulted about aspects of the service.