Could you be the next Skills for Care Accolades Winner of Winners?

Press release 25 July 2012

Sunnyside House were the Winner of Winners at the Skills for Care Accolades in March and a new film looks at how their work has supported Gavin achieve the changes he wanted in his life.

?Gavin has a learning disability and had previously found it difficult to get a job. Thanks to Sunnyside's support Gavin now holds down a demanding job on the reception desk at nearby Thurrock Council. Gavin has become a popular and valued member of the team and as he says 'keeps them in line'.

?He has developed the confidence to travel alone to and from his job thanks to the home's innovative My Life programme that uses a series of practical leaning modules to support independent living for the 12 people who live at Sunnyside.

?Parents of people who live at Sunnyside talk candidly about how the programme is preparing their adult children to be independent when they are no longer there to support them.

?"I saw for myself the My Life programme when I visited Sunnyside House. The commitment of the whole staff group to person centred support is an excellent example of supporting people with a learning disability to live independent lives," says Skills for Care CEO Sharon Allen.

?"Although the team at Sunnyside are genuinely thinking differently about care and support, as I travel the county I've seen so many examples of work deserving of one of our Accolades, so I hope every employer truly committed to personalised care and support will consider entering."

?To view the new Sunnyside House DVD go to http://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/videolibrary/Sunnyside_2.aspx

?To find out more about the Accolades or how to enter go to www.skillsforcare.org.uk/accolades.

Media enquiries:

Paul Clarke: 0113 2411297/ 07977519287. paul.clarke@skillsforcare.org.uk

Notes to editors:

1. Skills for Care is the employment-led strategic body for workforce development in adult social care in England, which is licensed jointly with its UK allies by UKCES to be the 'Skills for Care and Development' Sector Skills Council (SSC). Both organisations are chaired by Professor David Croisdale-Appleby. The other members of the SSC are the Children's Workforce Development Council (also for England), the General Social Care Council, the Scottish Social Services Council, the Care Council for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Social Care Council.
2. Skills for Care forms a strategic overview of workforce needs in adult social care, which accounts for nearly 1.56 million workers spread over 48,300 establishments employing care staff. Skills for Care members are drawn from groups representing public, private and voluntary sector care employers, along with representatives of staff, trainers, service users and informal carers. Social care includes residential care, domiciliary care and social work with all its specialisms.
3. Skills for Care and its SSC allies promote and develop the social care sector's National Occupational Standards which are statements of competence that describe 'best practice'.
4. Skills for Care area networks are major brokers of funding for social care workforce development.