Promoting Independence Awards 2013
Cymorth Cymru and welsh local authorities held their seventh annual awards ceremony in December 2013 in celebration of the excellent work that is being done across Wales to help vulnerable people maximise their independence.
The prestigious event took place at Cardiff’s Radisson Blu Hotel and over 250 people from the housing-related support, homelessness and supported living sector in Wales were there to celebrate the achievements of the sector.
The Promoting Independence Awards (PIAs) is open to all organisations working to assist people who are vulnerable, isolated or experiencing housing crisis to help them find or maintain a stable home and build the sort of lives we all aspire to.
Our congratulations go to all the winners and our thanks to all our sponsors who made the event possible!
The Working in Partnership award 2013
sponsored by Cymorth Cymru
The recipient of this award had to demonstrate how they had developed strong working links across organisations, sectors or client groups, and how these links had benefited their client group or area. the judges were looking for evidence of setting up new partnerships, developing and maintaining these relationships and the delivery of shared objectives.
United Welsh and Vision 21
Vision 21 is a registered charity offering people with learning needs the opportunity to undertake vocational training with a view to employment. United Welsh worked proactively with Vision 21 to provide a meals service for older people in its housing with care schemes.
United Welsh and Vision 21’s winning project highlighted how the relationship had truly benefited both partners and their service users – a community enterprise with a win-win for all! Not only was the initial objective for the partnership met to a high standard, but a number of additional benefits followed – namely intergeneration inclusion, training and pathways to paid employment. for more about United welsh or Vision 21 please visit www.unitedwelsh.comor www.vision-twentyone.com
The investing in Staff award 2013
Sponsored by United welsh
In the current financial climate, having well-trained, happy and motivated staff is more crucial than ever to ensure the delivery of excellent services. the recipient of this award was able to demonstrate ongoing investment in the professionalisation and wellbeing of staff to ensure the delivery of quality services.
Cardiff YMCA
Cardiff YMCA Housing Association provides 120 bed spaces in the Roath area of Cardiff for homeless people. The organisation offers accommodation and support, with the support focusing on helping people to work towards personal goals and move on to independent living.
In this category it was felt that Cardiff YMCA went above and beyond what was expected. It looked at the whole person – not just their training requirements, but also other elements, such as their health and wellbeing, and offered a diverse programme of activities to meet those needs. The judges were also impressed with the examples of inter-departmental activities in place, such as workshops and job shadowing and the impressive level of staff satisfaction and happiness. for more information about Cardiff YMCA visit www.cardiffymcaha.co.uk
The Homelessness Prevention Award 2013
Sponsored by Places of Change Cymru
he homelessness prevention agenda is now well established. the winner of this award was able to demonstrate that its project has taken this agenda forward in the way in which it supports people at risk of homelessness to resolve their housing need before crisis situations arise.
The Wallich, Housing First Anglesey project
The Wallich HFA project aims to help homeless people find a permanent home quickly and use this as a starting point to address other social and health problems associated with homelessness. Once housed, the HFA project offers an ongoing support package for clients to ensure that they are maintaining their tenancies. The project is available to men and women who are homeless and aged 25 and above.
The HFA project was a deserved winner with its progressive and innovative approach in introducing new principles to Wales. It demonstrated great outcomes within its first year and the judges felt that this is a model to watch, learn from and replicate.
The Top Team Award 2013
Sponsored by Gofal
Many awards recognise the importance of individual achievement but high quality services depend on teams working successfully together. this award was given to the team who demonstrated that its commitment to working positively and supportively together to improve the services it provides resulted in high quality services being delivered.
Grŵp Gwalia – Morfa Afan & Gwalia Min yr Afan
Grŵp Gwalia is a non profit provider of housing and care services in South and Mid Wales and has two residential care homes in the Port Talbot area – Min yr Afan and Morfa Afan. The residential homes are focused on person-centred care and provide for residents over the age of 65 who need physical care or are experiencing dementia or another mental illness.
Gwalia stood out in this category due to the significant period of change that the team has undergone and how that, despite this difficult and perhaps initially unwanted journey of change, the team has continued to ensure that high standards are met and that morale remains high. The range of strategies and activities used to ensure this, were truly original and innovative. for more information on Grŵp Gwalia visit www.gwalia.com
The Supported Living Award 2013
Sponsored by Hafan Cymru & Rhondda HA
Many people, maybe because they have a learning disability, long term mental health issue, physical disability or are elderly and frail, live within residential settings that limit their ability to exercise control or achieve maximum independence.
this award was given to the organisation that demonstrated that its services enable people with long term support and care needs to live as independently as possible within the community, exercise control over their lives and enjoy the kind of independence that many of us take for granted.
Cartrefi cymru
Cartrefi Cymru works to support people in Wales to lead fulfilled lives at home and in the community. The organisation works in 13 local authority areas all over Wales, providing support to individuals and families, from a few hours a week to everyday and overnight. It works in partnership with parents and local authorities to enable people with long term care and support needs to live as independently as they can, and as they wish to. Cartrefi Cymru clearly demonstrated with its policies, practices and all communications that independence lies at the heart of all it does. It submitted some very strong evidence that clearly demonstrated its person-centred approach and the extremely strong ethos of putting those using their services in the driving seat of their own development. to find out more about Cartrefi Cymru visit www.cartrefi.org
The Community Engagement Award 2013
Sponsored by North Wales Housing
Sometimes communities don’t welcome the development of housing-related support, homelessness or supported living services in their area. Similarly, people accessing services can feel isolated or excluded from the community in which they live. this award recognises innovation and success for a project or organisation that has successfully engaged people using services with the wider community.
Llamau’s Flooks Cafe
Llamau’s Flooks Cafe is a social enterprise offering training and employment opportunities for vulnerable people, as well as providing opportunities to get involved with community activities run from the cafe.
From the outset, Llamau has built relationships within the local community by supporting local groups, and utilising the cafe’s large display windows to provide an outlet for Merthyr’s talented artists and crafts people.
The judges felt that the cafe has become an intrinsic part of the local community. The people using Llamau’s services are fully involved with the project in terms of finance, design, feasibility, staff recruitment and it continues to evolve, offering new ideas and services to the local community. Visit www.llamau.org.uk/flooks/for more information on Flooks Café
The Improving Access To Employment, Training & Skills Award 2013
Sponsored by Clwyd Alyn Housing Association
Providing opportunities to access employment and/or training can have life changing effects for individuals, families and communities. The recipient of this award was able to demonstrate how it helped its client/s into employment, training or skills development and the positive outcomes that were achieved as a result.
Cadwyn – Realise Your Potential
Cadwyn’s ‘Realise Your Potential’ project offers work placements, training opportunities and one-to-one coaching and advice to help provide people with the skills, experience and confidence needed to get back into work, move closer to the labour market and ultimately improve aspirations. Since setting up the scheme in July 2010, Cadwyn has supported 160 members, 35 per cent of which have entered employment.
The project clearly demonstrated a thorough understanding of the strategic links it has developed with its partners. It offers a wide variety of services, and the judges were particularly impressed with the integration of training for both staff and people using Cadwyn’s services. for more information on the Realise Your Potential project visit www.cadwyn.co.uk/realise-your-potential/
The Supported Housing Development Award 2013
Sponsored by Solas
Enabling individuals to live independent and successful lives is vital, and the design of their accommodation can play a crucial role in enabling people to do this. the recipient of this award was able to demonstrate how its supported housing development has contributed to people living independent and successful lives and enables them to achieve their aspirations.
United Welsh – Ty Parc
United Welsh is a not-for-profit organisation providing housing and related services to people in South Wales, including a variety of supported housing projects.
The Ty Parc supported housing development replaced the previous homeless hostel on the site, which had been directly managed by Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council, and was built to specifications informed by the residents.
United Welsh has put its residents’ needs at the heart of the design and development of the accommodation. The way the accommodation is being used and the feedback from residents highlights its success and the judges felt that this design should be a blueprint for future developments of its kind. Visit www.unitedwelsh.comfor more information on United Welsh Housing Association
The Working With Rough Sleepers Award 2013
Sponsored by Digartref Ynys Mon and SYSHP
Some people have no recourse to public funds or, for a variety of reasons, fall through the net of other services and end up sleeping rough. This award was given to the organisation, team or project that demonstrated dedication, passion and innovation in meeting the needs of people experiencing the most extreme form of homelessness.
Swansea Hope
Swansea Night Shelter provides a safe, secure environment for vulnerable homeless people who are sleeping on the streets during the coldest months of the year. Rough sleepers are given a hot meal and warm bed for the night in exchange for working with outreach and other services to help them find and keep longer term accommodation. The project is a partnership between Swansea Hope (a collection of local churches), the City and County of Swansea, and other partners.
Swansea Night Shelter is an inspirational example of partnership working and of what can be achieved when the community works together. The impressive number of outside agencies and volunteers working together to achieve a collective goal was noteworthy as was the success and impact of the project. find out more about Swansea Hope here http://swanseahope.co.uk/
The Service User Involvement Award 2013
Sponsored by GrŵpGwalia
The organisation receiving this award demonstrated that the people using its services shape what is delivered. the judges were looking for evidence of creativity and good practice in both formal and informal approaches to facilitating this, in particular service users inform both the improvement of existing services and the design of new services.
Charter Housing – myPad
MyPad gives practical training on independent living to 16 to 24 year olds in Newport. Participants get expert training in sustaining a tenancy through interactive workshops that include understanding a tenancy, budgeting and visiting an empty property. Young people have helped develop and deliver the course to ensure it is relevant.
The MyPad project has worked hard to include its service users in the design and development of its project. The people using the services are integral to the business and their input has directly changed the look of the project to ensure its relevance and effectiveness. In this way, the people using the services are integral to the business. find out more about Mypad at www.mypadnewport.co.uk
The Inspirational Colleague Award 2012
Sponsored by CIH Cymru
Every year the award that generates the most nominations and interest is the award for Inspirational Colleague. It is also the award that the judges struggle with the most. Each year, all the nominees are worthy of winning and this year proved no exception! this award was given to the individual that demonstrates passion and dedication in their work and, as a result, is highly respected and appreciated by clients and colleagues.
Paul Thomas from Service Leavers Wales
Paul Thomas is founder of Service Leavers Wales (SLW) – an all-Wales charity providing support to all veterans in Wales and their families during and after transition to civilian life. The scheme also offers a shared housing scheme to help reintroduce veterans to living in the community. Paul himself has served as a Welsh Infantry Soldier and after leaving the armed forces was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Paul set up SLW as he felt that the treatment on offer for service leavers in his area was not of a high enough standard.
Paul stood out in this competitive category for his impressive level of commitment to his work and clients. The impact Paul has had on the lives of others is significant and this has been achieved as a direct result of his character and determination. For more information on Service Leavers Wales please visit http://www.serviceleaverswales.co
Promoting Independence Awards 2014 – 5th December 2014, Cardiff Radisson Blu
For further information on nominations, award sponsorship or table bookings, please contact Cymorth Cymru on 029 2055 3687 or email enquiries@cymorthcymru.org.uk