Bracknell

Bracknell Forest Borough Council’s learning disabilities team has won the regional heat for the Dignity in Care category of the Health and Social Care Awards, 2008.

The Bracknell learning disabilities team, based at the Council’s Time Square offices, impressed the judges with the way they have changed their way of working during the last 18 months. People are now supported to have the same opportunity as all residents in the borough, rather than having to use traditional services.

The Bracknell team picked up their accolade at an award ceremony held at Oxford United’s Kassam Stadium, last Wednesday (April 23). There were over 90 submissions for the awards and the team will now compete against other regional award winners to be shortlisted for the national finals which take place in London in July.

Glyn Jones, Chief Officer: Adult Social Care, said: This award is a credit to the hard work of our team during the last 18 months or so and it is a privilege to be recognised for this.

We will certainly be keeping up the work we are doing within the learning disabilities team and keep our fingers crossed that we may receive a national award.”

The award was also in recognition of new services provided by the learning disabilities team, like the Green Machine, which is a social enterprise aimed at employing people with disabilities and which will offer quality gardening and maintenance services to residents in the Bracknell borough. It also recognised other initiatives including the council teaming up with national employment agency A4E to help people with learning disabilities find jobs and to support their families.

Cllr Dale Birch, Executive Member for Bracknell Adult Services, Health and Housing, said: Our learning disabilities team are driving forward our agenda for modernisation and change and have introduced an ethos of empowerment for our learning disability residents which now allows them to live a much fuller and more active life in the community, if they choose.

I think it is fantastic that the team has been recognised in this way and I congratulate them on receiving this award. They are making such a difference and are genuinely changing people’s lives for the better. Congratulations to them and I wish them the very best for the national finals.”

Bracknell Forest Borough Council