Published Friday 11 December 2015 at 9:05
Blackburn with Darwen Council has been named as a finalist in a prestigious national competition.
The Council has been shortlisted in the ‘Partnership of the Year’ category at the LGC Awards for an adult social care project jointly delivered by the local authority and performance specialist Newton Europe.
The LGC Awards see Councils throughout the UK compete in the prestigious competition celebrating excellence in the public sector.
This is the second category the Council will contest the finals in at the same awards after news it was also nominated in the Driving Growth category for its work around business growth in the borough.
Blackburn with Darwen Council’s entry in the partnership category is based around a programme of work with Newton Europe to reduce the number of local long-term care admissions for older people into residential and nursing care.
This was achieved via a streamlined and tightly planned and maintained programme of work including weekly meetings attended by a range of health and social care professionals, who in turn worked closely with the private sector, where the needs of every individual in the Borough currently in short-term residential care was discussed and all options explored to get them back home.
As a result of the work, long-term residential admissions have fallen by over 40 per cent in Blackburn with Darwen, with fifty people helped to regain their independence.
Blackburn with Darwen Council is one of ten local authorities chosen to contest the finals in the Partnership of the Year category. The Council will be up against the likes of Hampshire County Council, Newcastle City Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council. It is the only Lancashire authority to be shortlisted in this category.
Representatives from the project will now attend an interview on Friday, January 29 in London to make a final pitch to the LGC judges before the winner is announced in March at an award’s ceremony held in London.
Councillor Mustafa Desai, Executive Member for Health and Adult Social Care, said:
I’m delighted that we have been selected as a finalist in this category at the LGC awards. This has been a great piece of work with outstanding results for the people of Blackburn with Darwen. It is a testament to what can be achieved by solid and effective partnership working as displayed here by the Council with Newton Europe alongside colleagues from health, adult care and the private sector.
Bill Guthrie, Associate Director, Newton Europe, said:
It has been a great pleasure to work on this project with colleagues from Blackburn with Darwen Council. We’re delighted that it’s received this national recognition which is a testament to the public service ethos that drives the Blackburn with Darwen Team, some effective partnership working and some best practice and process from the private sector. More importantly though, we’re proud to have helped the team to improve outcomes for service users across the borough.