Two workers based at a day service centre in Gedling borough were celebrated at a recent awards event after setting up an innovative project that involves service users creating story books for children with hidden messages about overcoming difference.
Gedling Day Services worker Rosemary Proctor and Elaine Bagguley, team manager for day services in south Nottinghamshire, won the Care Innovator Award at the recent Great East Midlands Care Awards event at the East Midlands Conference Centre.
Julie Hampson and Rosemary Proctor led on a project with 19 service users at Gedling Day Services to produce three books aimed at children to help them understand that people who are different in some way should not be singled out or bullied by their peers.
The project evolved from a group run by Julie Hampson at the Netherfield site and the books are available to purchase on Amazon.
The first book was called ‘A Frog Called Rod’ and featured characters based on day services staff and the follow-on books are titled ‘A Chicken Called Doris’ and ‘The Magical Wizard and the Easter Egg Hunt’.
Elaine said: “I was honoured to represent Nottinghamshire County Council at these awards and very proud of what continues to be achieved in day services by service users and staff.”
Councillor Stuart Wallace, Chairman of Nottinghamshire County Council’s Adult Social Care and Public Health Committee, said: “This award was greatly deserved as this is a truly innovative project that encourages day service users to tap into their own experiences to produce stories for children to enjoy and learn from.”
The Great East Midlands Care Awards are part of the Great British Care Awards, a series of nine regional awards celebrating excellence across the care sector.
The purpose of the awards is to promote best practice within both home care and care homes sectors, and pay tribute to those individuals who have demonstrated outstanding excellence within their field of work.
Winners of the Great East Midlands Care Awards will go through to the final at Birmingham’s ICC in spring 2018.
