Every year, we receive hundreds of entries for the Public Service Awards. Our expert judges face the difficult task of selecting a shortlist and then the even harder task of picking the winners.
Here are those who made it through to the final stage:
Care finalists
Leeds city council
A Leeds pilot project aimed at returning young people home from long-term care is attracting nationwide attention after exceeding its goals. Young people aged 11-17 from two children’s homes were involved in the therapeutic programme, known as Multi Systemic Therapy Family Integrated Transition. Staff hoped that 50% of young people would be in their own homes 12 months after taking part in the project, but found that more than 70% were settled permanently. After 12 weeks of intensive therapy in one of the children’s homes, young people receive 20 weeks of therapy with families and schools while in their own homes. LJ
Wellbeing Teams
People needing help with daily tasks are being supported in a range of ways, from knitting groups to virtual reality, thanks to an innovative approach by social care provider Wellbeing Teams. The project, consisting of small, self-managed neighbourhood teams inspired by the Buurtzorg model of neighbourhood care in the Netherlands, focuses on what matters to people as well as delivering personal care. In a reinvention of home help, older people in Wigan and Oxfordshire are being given personalised care around their needs. “We focus on people having great days, not just delivering personal care,” says chief executive Helen Sanderson. LJ
Digital and technology finalists
City of York council
Single View is a webpage application on City of York council’s internal intranet site, which allows 857 staff working with vulnerable people to share information. Designed in-house by digital experts, it brings seven council data sets from adult social care, children’s services, early help and intervention teams, children’s centres, housing, education and youth offending teams into a single searchable online space. Information architect Andrew Taylor says: “For the first time, we have a holistic, 360-degree view of the customer, which means decisions are more informed than they were before.” DA
Hertfordshire county council
Hertfordshire county council redesigned its website, concerned it was written to meet council needs rather than those of customers. With feedback from more than 2,000 users, it reduced web pages by 80%, rewrote the copy for a reading age of nine and replaced the 300 contributing council staff editors with a small team of content specialists. Since the digital transformation, calls to customer services have fallen by 66,500; calls about school admissions alone decreased from 70,000 to 7,000. “The project was about people, not the technology,” says web content officer Claudia Ferlisi. “We wanted a site that was simple, fast and personalised.” DA
Diversity and inclusion finalists
Department for Work and Pensions
A year-long I Can Be Me engagement campaign aimed to improve inclusion by encouraging staff to share their personal stories, and asking managers to make their team members feel more valued. One important outcome was an increased understanding of disability and mental health, resulting in improved workplace adjustment support and mental health first aider provision. Sonia Bewley, deputy director for inclusion, wellbeing and health and safety, says: “We know that when people feel included, they’re more productive, they’re more engaged, they have better wellbeing, which benefits the business, our individual colleagues and also our customers.” KT
Renfrewshire council
Renfrewshire council’s Project Search, co-delivered with Glasgow Clyde College, provides work experience and skills training for young people with a learning disability or autism. Each cohort of 12 students undertakes three work placements, which helps them acquire the skills necessary to apply for entry-level positions. So far, 55% have gained sustainable employment of at least 16 hours per week, with half employed directly by the council. Michael Moran, assistant economic development manager, says that analysis shows that “the more intensively you work with these young people, the better the chance of them learning, and the better chance of a positive outcome”. KT
Health and wellbeing finalists
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service
Atrial fibrillation is a heart condition that is one of the leading causes of stroke. Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service has teamed up with Halton clinical commissioning group and Halton borough council to identify people aged over 65 who are at risk. The fire service was already carrying out safe-and-well visits in older people’s homes; they now include a number of health checks. Staff are trained to use a mobile screening tool and can signpost people to a GP where necessary. SJ
Tomorrow’s Women Wirral
“When we first started, there was no provision for women who were on the periphery of offending or for women who had offended,” says Angela Murphy, chief executive of the charity Tomorrow’s Women Wirral. “The probation service was for men, made by men. Women are only 6% of the criminal justice system.” The charity set about filling this gap. Now women can drop in or be referred through social care, GPs, the police and hospitals. The charity is committed to reducing female offending and to providing support to those in recovery. SJ
Housing finalists
Croydon council
Community Connect and Food Stop were created in partnership with FareShare and more than 30 other organisations, with the aim of preventing families in Croydon’s two most deprived wards getting into crisis. Residents get support in areas such as budgeting, debt management and employability, and for £3.50 each week they receive fresh food worth £20. “We have seen fantastic results in just 10 months,” says Julia Pitt, interim director of the council’s Gateway and Welfare services. Among the first 100 families, the proportion in work climbed from 14% to 32%. RW
Quaker Social Action, Move On Up
Having often missed out, because of their caring roles, on the social networks that may give them potential flatmates, young adult carers face a particularly tough struggle to get housing of their own. Move On Up provides accommodation for 12 young adult carers aged 18 to 25 in east London, as well as support to achieve their goals. “The biggest thing for most people is having that time to reflect and think about themselves,” says manager Jon Scarth. RW
Learning and development finalists
Norfolk and Norwich university hospital NHS foundation trust
In 2017, Norfolk and Norwich university hospital NHS foundation trust’s Excellence Together programme gave clinicians the chance to identify opportunities for improving practice. Initially piloted in four areas (orthopaedics, general surgery, gynaecology and older persons’ medicine), it was later extended to cardiology and children’s services. The resulting improvements reduced waiting times, improved clinical outcomes and saved money. Jess Woodhouse, improvement manager, says that clinicians’ engagement was high because “it was their ideas, their project – they just had a bit of guided learning about how to implement improvement projects.” KT
York teaching hospital NHS foundation trust
York teaching hospital NHS foundation trust partnered with the army’s 2nd Medical Brigade to make its scenario planning for a terrorist attack as realistic as possible. Its LIVEX18 project culminated in two mass casualty simulations, including full-scale replicas of emergency departments and actors made up to resemble injured patients. A subsequent staff survey showed that 97% now felt well-prepared for an emergency incident. Phil Dickinson, LIVEX18 clinical director, says: “Simply explaining to somebody what they should do is nowhere near as good as building in more practical elements to the training.” KT
Recruitment and HR finalists
Children and Families Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass)
Thanks to a 25% increase in case demand over four years, Cafcass’s organisational capacity was at its limit by the end of 2016-17. A multi-channel campaign to recruit 100 experienced social workers as family court advisers was so successful that nearly 120 were appointed, with applicants per vacancy increasing from seven to 12. “It gives our family court teams that space to breathe and feel they have the opportunity to do their job to the very best of their ability,” says HR resourcing partner Ian Turley. RW
Department for International Trade
Created in the aftermath of the Brexit vote, the Department for International Trade started out with about 2,500 civil servants drawn from existing teams. In the last year, it has grown by 50% thanks to an ambitious programme recruiting both from elsewhere in the Civil Service and externally. The department has proved popular, attracting strong candidates, says HR director James Norton. “There is a sense of a moment in time and history, and I think people want to be part of that and contribute.” RW
Transformation finalists
Food Standards Agency
The FSA planned and implemented a project to put digital technology and staff working practice at the heart of its transformation strategy. The aim was for staff to work more efficiently, to make financial savings by extending home-working, reducing office footprint, and to communicate better with its scattered workforce. Staff were given tablets and phones to work remotely. It resulted in better work-life balance, less time commuting and greater job satisfaction. Elaine Donaghy, business change manager, says: “It’s been really effective. Our staff have been appreciative of having that flexibility and it’s all based around business need.” SJ
Hammersmith and Fulham council
The Community Resilience Project, created in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire, brings together a network of more than 100 local organisations from charities to churches, residents’ associations and businesses. All linked through an online portal, they can coordinate a voluntary response in the event of a major emergency. Kim Dero, Hammersmith and Fulham council’s chief executive, says: “In terms of working with our community in this way, we are the first – and organisations across London are watching us with interest, keen to begin similar work.” SJ
Leadership excellence finalists
Janet Mather, coroner’s service manager, Lancashire county council
Three years ago, after more than 30 years in local government, Mather became manager of the coroner’s service, which investigates unnatural and violent deaths. She has cut costs, while improving services and community links. Last year, the service gained a CT scanner, as an alternative to traditional post-mortem equipment; a new IT system; and new links to local funeral directors. “Mather’s high level of public sector values and sheer hard graft impressed us,” said the judges. They praised her leadership in bringing about real change and engagement. JD
Christine Banim, national service director, Cafcass
Banim has held her post – a role previously covered by six senior managers – since 2011, bringing together the organisation’s operations as a single service for the first time. She has increased productivity, performance and quality, as well as leading crucial reform programmes to tackle unprecedented rises in demand, and cut delays for thousands of children in the courts system. The judges praised Banim for an impressive turnaround of a failing organisation, with clear evidence of strategic leadership in the face of a difficult challenge. They were also impressed by the feedback from Banim’s colleagues. JD
Public servant of the year finalists
Sunny Dhadley, inolvement officer, Suit
Former crack and heroin addict Sunny Dhadley, 38, is a manager at a peer-led substance misuse service in the West Midlands. After years in and out of rehab, in 2007 he started volunteering at the drug treatment centre where he had detoxed and at a newly founded advocacy organisation in his hometown of Wolverhampton, the Service User Involvement Team (Suit). After progressing from volunteer to project worker, he is now Suit’s drug and alcohol service user involvement officer, delivering one-to-one support to clients, leading on the organisation’s strategy and helping to develop its programmes. CH
Sue Gower, programme development officer, Kent safeguarding children’s board
Sue Gower has been the driving force behind a new system for recording child deaths. The move from a slow, manual paper-based process to a new electronic system has reduced admin time significantly and – even more importantly – means bereaved families receive support sooner. The bespoke electronic system, which is more accurate and efficient than the previous manual records, also allows better information sharing between organisations. It has been endorsed by NHS Digital, adopted around England and is also informing development of the government’s national child mortality database. CH
Gail Redmond, founder Via Wings
Gail Redmond set up Via Wings in 2009 in her hometown, Dromore, Northern Ireland, after realising the lack of support for women trying to improve their condition. She began by delivering food, but then set up self-esteem and basic education courses for women facing poverty and social isolation. The charity now has 80 volunteers and 16 members of staff, with many projects, including a food bank, a clothes shop, an intergenerational social club, an older people’s support group and two social enterprises. Redmond was nominated for her vision and enthusiasm. “This is the hardest, most fulfilling, worthwhile, real work I have ever done,” she says. JD
Elaine Nicholson, founder Action for Asperger’s
Elaine Nicholson was a qualified counsellor when she started Action for Asperger’s in 2008. After a second close family member was diagnosed with autism, she realised there was a huge demand for specialist skills in this field. Her charity now has 2,700 clients, 11 staff and more than 20 volunteers, most of whom are former clients. “The demand for services shows we’ve got this model of therapy right,” says Nicholson, who says she is passionate about raising awareness of autism. Nicholson, who received an MBE in 2016, put more than 80 hours work a week into the charity, despite her own health challenges. JD
