Scottish Care’s National Care at Home & Housing Support Awards 2024
Congratulations to our Dumfries Service who are part of the Dumfries and Galloway Care at Home Collaborative who were awarded the ‘Care Innovation Award’ at the Scottish Care National Care at Home and Housing Support Awards 2024.
The Care Innovation Award celebrates exceptional achievements in transforming the care community, service, and environment. In a time of remarkable challenge within the care sector, the award recognises teams who have demonstrated the use of innovative approaches and a willingness to embrace positive person-centred practice.
Formed in October 2022, the collaborative group involves 10 independent provider partners, Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership (DGHSCP) and Scottish Care and aims to make a change in approaches to meet the needs of people waiting for care. The award was special recognition for the group’s collaborative 12 month test of change programme which was set up to address challenges in delayed discharge from hospitals and staffing challenges in over 65 care a home.
The collaborative achieved some fantastic results over the 12 month period which saw the following:
28% reduction in the number of people delayed in hospital
The Dumfries and Galloway Collaborative worked closely with Dumfries and Galloway Council to support providers in adjusting their current shifts to create additional capacity which enable more hospital discharges to go ahead. This meant that 28% of hospital patients were able to be discharged back home without delays, addressing the growing number of people delayed in hospital.
27% fewer people on the portal awaiting care and support at home, within that 38% fewer older people awaiting care and support at home.
Without the work of the collaborative group, the waiting list would not be reducing and elderly people would find it more difficult to get the care and support they need to remain independent and continue to live in their own homes.
Being part of the collaborative has had a positive impact on the team at 1st Homecare. They have gained further knowledge from their network of peers and know who to reach out to if they need extra support with Ellen Ewart, Service Manager in Dumfries saying, “We definitely have a better working relationship with everyone in the local community now.”
Well done to Ellen Ewart and Lisa Callendar at 1st Homecare for joining the collaborative and making a real difference to the lives of the elderly in Dumfries and Galloway.