The Winner ….

Peterborough & Stamford NHS Foundation Trust – Service Improvement Team

The Service Improvement Team was created 10 years ago to deal with the Government’s NHS reforms which emphasised a switch form small scale incremental change to wider sweeping whole systems challenger, unit initiatives and targets for health and social care provides.

Challenges included a project to deal with the government’s priority to cut waiting times. This involved working operational staff to achieve three targets by defining clear pathways of care, reducing waste and duplication, better planning, mentoring and re-evaluation the changes.

Ten years on the work of the team continues through leading, supporting and facilitating national, regional and local initiatives from conception to implementation.

Katherine Kerswell, Chair of the Top Team Judging Panel said that “The Judging Panel had a very hard debate as all of the teams were close with all teams showing examples of the criteria such as innovation, creativity, learning, overcoming blockages.

However, this is the Top Team award we wanted to see from our winner real evidence of team dynamics, results, outcomes and a well performing Team.

The Team that shone out with the Team dynamics was Peterborough & Stamford Hospitals NHS Trust.”

“You have contributed right to the corporate heart of your organisation, with helping to resolve financial pressures, and even getting Doctors to do dressings (or was it cross dressing – I am not sure!).”

The finalists …..

Leicestershire Care On-Line

Care on line, part of Leicestershire Adult care service was established in 2001 to help meet the council strategy of “improving social care and support for venerable people”.
The aim of the project was to deliver information to the over 65s, disabled and unpaid carers, at the point of need (their own homes) using computers and the internet.

The project included undertaking needs assessment, providing skills training, developing a dedicated website and providing technical support.

The team have achieved;

• Over 400 isolated people trained in their own homes.
• 2500 people have access to a computer and the internet.
• 300 support calls handed in 2005 (90%home visits)
• In three years over18,000 visits to website each month, an increase of 800%.

Katherine Kerswell, Chair of the Top Team Judging Panel said that the Leicestershire On-Line Team have demonstrated:

• evidence of staff going the extra mile in the case of Wanda, with many more similar examples each week.
• A real plan to expand the current 3,000 users to 30,000 in a non statutory area, and I think you will achieve that!
• Real examples of individual input with Sue from Leicestershire Care On-Line Team coming into public services offices and making real to what is happening within Care On-Line, some of which sounds like a dating agency with the number of weddings that have occurred.

Knowsley’s Works Team

In 2005, an employment and skills strategy was developed in Knowsley by three partners; Knowsley MBC, Job Centre plus the Merseyside Learning and Skills Council.

The aim of the strategy was to increase the employment rate from its low 61% in 2004 to 70% employment in 2010 to bring it close to national targets.

To achieve this Knowsley’s Works Team had to target the hardest to help groups in order to achieve this, the team adopted fire core aims/valves.

• Engage- with people and support them in work.
• Embrace- and celebrate difference.
• Educate- to provide training and skills.
• Empower people to make positive.
• Employ- to do all that is possible to support people into getting a job.

Already Knowsley’s Works Team have played a key point in the employment rate reaching 66% which’s 2 years ahead of strategy targets.

Katherine Kerswell, Chair of the Top Team Judging Panel said that his team had demonstrated some real improvements in service delivery, for example:

• 75% achievement of people staying in work
• 8,200 more people in work by 2010.
• Tracey from Knowsley’s Works Team showing real delight and belief in what she does which is infectious.

Craigavon & Banbridge Community Health Centre

In 2002, Banbridge district council purchased a former Banbridge hospital site in co down, Northern Ireland. Craigavon and Banbridge community trust established a team to co-ordinate the development of the Banbridge community health village.

The team have engaged in a process to entice healthcare providers from the public and health sectors, to invest in the development of the site.

A range of health service provides purchased the site in 2005 and planning and
Construction of the community has been going on since with the following facilities/partners.

• Banbridge group surgery.
• Oaklee housing association and Lenord Cheshire.
• Banbridge district council memorial garden.
• Fold housing association.
• Banbridge, polyclinic Craigavon area hospital group trust.
• Banbridge pre-school.
• Northern Ireland ambulance service.

Katherine Kerswell, Chair of the Top Team Judging Panel said that ‘Through the work of the team, the local community’s value of the history of their hospital has been saved and the 21st century part of its story as a local health provision is now being written. You have kept health services local to your community.’

Avon Fire and Rescue Service - Youth Development Team

The youth development team were created to deal with young people, who are most likely to be involved in fires and road accidents – and to cause them.

The team has made several programmes from its basic at Bedminster fire station in Bristol, to ensure that it reaches every child and meets their different needs; from primary school children who need to know what to do in a fire to young offenders who need alternative routs to avoid repeated offences.

The testimonials and results prove that its work is having a key impact in making communities safer and to help preventing emergencies happening.

Katherine Kerswell, Chair of the Top Team Judging Panel said that again ‘Avon Fire & Rescue Youth Development Team has demonstrated real improvements in service delivery with no re-offending of you participants. It was also very moving to Gareth from Avon Fire Service and the pride in his mum’s face as she watched him on the video.’

Wakefield MDC’s Procurement Team

Just over 3 years ago as a result of a poor corporate performance,
He corporative management team at Wakefield council made a commitment to establish a procurement team, with a view to develop a corporate procurement framework to ensure that every officer buying for the council had the recovery support, skills and expertise relative to their work.

Business view of Wakefield at the time was in a “black hole” in terms in doing business.

In 2006-07 Wakefield’s Procurement Team became a beacon authority for the ‘delivery of quality service through procurement.’ This was underpinned by:

• Comprehensive e-procurement programme.
• A highly effective supplier engagement programme developed in partnership with business link, federation of small business and voluntary action Wakefield.
• A dynamic and effective team.

Katherine Kerswell, Chair of the Top Team Judging Panel said that ‘the feedback from your small business federation ‘from a black hole to a shinning light, was a real compliment in the improvement in service delivery.’

‘Your innovation in extending your ‘meet the buyers’ conference to include all the public sector and 3rd sector in your borough, this will bring significant benefits to the region as well as the money you have saved to help balance the Council’s books.’