The SupportActionNet Awards recognise innovation and excellence in supporting vulnerable people to achieve their social and emotional aspirations. The judges have looked for ways in which each organisation has improved service users’ quality of life in two specific ways:
The Awards are supported by the Ashden Trust, which has generously donated the prize money. The two Award winners received £1,000 and the seven commended entries received £150.
Our thanks go to all the 82 organisations who entered the Awards. The results were announced on November 29th at the SupportActionNet Conference 2006 and are presented below:
Cornerstone Supported Living (small service provider category) provides services to 35 learning disabled adults who live in Hinckley, Leicestershire. Cornerstone is a small organisation that relies on volunteers to help support their service users to achieve their goals. Most service recipients hold tenancies. The judges read case studies that showed how couples were enabled to share their lives together, to contribute to their local communities and in one instance become married after many years of being separated. Collectively they demonstrated the culture of Cornerstone that recognises everybody is entitled to ordinary life chances and how, with individualised support, service receivers are empowered to live the life of their choosing.
Supported Lives (large service provider category) was set up in Bradford two years ago supporting people with disabilities. They now employ 50 staff and support as many service users. The judges deemed this entry to be the winner because of the achievements of their clients in realising their social and emotional aspirations. Much has been done in such little time. The organisation demonstrated through the four case studies how vulnerable people’s lives had been changed - how individuals have been able to rebuild their self esteem, acquire skills and meaningful employment, how they have been enabled to cope with pressures of married life and how a mother was enabled to be reunited with her child. Rather than judging their service users on their disability, the staff respect their clients for who they are and value their talents and abilities. As one member of staff put it "my clients enrich the lives of those around them just as much as their own lives have been enriched".
ODAAT - The One Day At A Time project based in London, part of Hope Worldwide, works with drug misusers who have been unsuccessful in other treatment centres. ODAAT was selected for commendation because of the benefits described for clients including improvement in physical health and mental health, development of good habits around diet, exercise, sleep. Strong peer relationships that are formed from openness, acceptance, support and challenge between residents. Increased confidence and self respect from voluntary work placements and further education courses. Sense of purpose and belonging derived from being part of a community and helping others. ODAAT organises family days and social events to promote the involvement of relatives and friends in the recovery process.
The objective of the Parenting Initiatives project, based in Northumberland and set up by and run for parents, is to support and encourage parents to take responsibility for themselves and their children - from babies to teenagers. The project is commended because of the non-judgemental approach described - accepting the parents and enable them to accept themselves and look to the future. The programmes have helped parents to achieve important personal results by becoming stronger, making new friends, raising self esteem and improving relationships.
The Bridge, based in Loughborough, is part of a tenancy support team which runs a Mediation Project for 15 to 18 year olds at risk of being excluded from the family home. The Bridge is commended for its creative work with young people to prevent homelessness at an early stage, working to resolve family conflict, establish, re-establish and/or strengthen relationships with family, school and so on, enable a young person to remain or return home where appropriate, secure family support for young people if moving to independent accommodation, to ensure a planned move rather than a crisis move.
Lifeways Community Care is a project based in Nottinghamshire that was set up by service users to give people with a learning disability a voice, to share experiences and promote awareness of abuse. The project is being commended because it has enabled those involved to increase their self confidence, meet new people, form good friendships and improve relationships with their friends and family. The awareness of all types of abuse that takes place - financial, emotional as well as physical and sexual - has empowered other people with learning disabilities to recognise it in their own lives, speak about their experiences and ultimately stop the abuse.
The entry from the National Autistic Society Outreach Team based in Leicester is about a specific project to support a family with an adult autistic son whose father committed suicide and whose mother is terminally ill with cancer. The entry is commended for the powerful example of the staff team’s commitment to enabling positive outcomes for the family in spite of the tragedy they faced. The team pulled out all of the stops to provide holistic support for the particular individual and their family in the most extreme of situations. The team has responded professionally and effectively, providing quality support with undeniably positive outcomes.
Street Soccer Cymru, based in the Wallich Clifford Community in Cardiff, shows how soccer tournaments to enskill homeless people, increase their physical fitness and self confidence using football to bring people together, break down the barriers and enjoy the activity. The project is commended because it vividly demonstrated how it achieved the emotional and social aspirations of a group of vulnerable people and enabled them to rebuild their lives. People have built social contacts and it has boosted their self esteem. The recent final match day where the players had many supporters in attendance, was evidence of this.
West Kent Housing Association’s The Link, is predominately attended by service users experiencing mental health issues and / or substance misuse but are no longer eligible to receive floating support. This has proved an invaluable resource to maintain friendships, encourage peer support and the reduction of social isolation. This entry is commended for the innovation in enabling vulnerable people to provide mutual support, be actively involved in their community to the benefit of the whole community.