Service providing ‘that little bit of help’ wins national award

The Stay Well at Home service has won the 2013 Charity Award for Social Care and Welfare, it was announced last night.  Against national competition, Stay Well was selected in the Social Care and Welfare category, with the award being presented by parliamentarian and paralympian, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, at a suitably glittering ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Mayfair.

The Stay Well at Home service works in partnership with GPs to target older people at risk of losing their independence and helps them plan and make lifestyle changes.  With great feedback from people who have been helped, Stay Well also saves money – an independent evaluation showed that in twelve months it saved the public sector £268,000, with a total social return on investment of £11 for every £1 spent.

Stay Well provides ‘that little bit of help’ that people need to help them stay independent, and well, in their own homes – where they want to be. Stay Well had already achieved national recognition – two years ago it was praised in a parliamentary report on housing and care for older people.

The award adds to Age Concern Kingston’s winning history.  Two years ago the charity won The Guardian Award for Care of Older People for its successful Fit as a Fiddle project, and Chief Executive Shane Brennan was shortlisted for a Charity Times award for outstanding leadership.

Commenting on the news Shane said: ‘It’s fantastic to win the award, but what really matters is that the Stay Well service makes a real and measurable difference to older people’s ability to stay independent and enjoy good quality of life.  This accolade is a real tribute to the dedication of the staff and volunteers who deliver the service.’

The Charity Awards are widely recognised as the Oscars of the charity sector, representing some of the finest examples of best practice and success from organisations big and small.  Stay Well at Home was selected from amongst hundreds of entries in the social care and welfare category. Projects have to evidence how they meet ten ‘hallmarks of excellence’, including innovation, leadership, effectiveness and accountability.

Age Concern Kingston was judged against stiff competition by an 11-strong panel of experts across a variety of fields, including the chief executive of the Charities Aid Foundation Dr John Low; founding director of the Clore Social Leadership Programme Dame Mary Marsh; Danielle Walker Palmour, director of the Friends Provident Foundation, and Sir Christopher Kelly, chair of the King’s Fund.  The judging panel was chaired by Andrew Hind, editor of Charity Finance.

Stay Well quick facts

• Stay Well at Home worked with 682 older people during its pilot year
• A social return on investment of 12:1 – £12 of value for  every £1 spent
• Savings in public sector expenditure of £240,000, around three times the investment made by NHS Kingston funding the project
• Volunteer input valued at £30,000 – a fundamental to the success of the project
• An average value of £3,000 achieved for each client, ten times the average cost to support the
• 199 clients felt more independent, reduced worry and isolation and more aware of the help they are entitled to after receiving the service
• 48% of clients responding to the survey said that they now take better care of themselves
• 27% stated that their mental health had improved
• 83% of clients felt they would be able to manage at home for longer because of the support they had from the service

Click here to read more about Stay Well at Home.