Community: Calderdale care team wins Community Integration award

The care team at the Carers Wellbeing Service Calderdale, consisting of Ruth Booth, Aisha Ali, Bethany Sykes, Danielle Lewis and Elizabeth Booth, has been named winner of the Community Integration award at the Making Space Colleague Awards.

The Halifax-based team was given the trophy at a ceremony held in Liverpool.

The audience heard how the team has strengthened community partnerships and created new initiatives to reach as many carers as possible across the Calderdale region.

Judges praised them for sharing their specialisms and best practice to ensure people who care for loved ones don’t become isolated, and receive the support and advice they need.

Lydia Woodall, service manager, nominated the team for the award. She said: “The team has worked very hard to establish new and better ways to identify and support unpaid carers.

“One of the initiatives was to set up clinics in GP surgeries, where health and social care professionals can refer carers for support. We now have clinics in four surgeries and the project has massively strengthened our community links and resulted in a big increase in the number of carers we support.”

Bethany Sykes, one of the award winning team, said: “We are all so honoured to win the Community Integration award. We are in an amazing position to be able to work alongside the social prescribing team to support our unpaid carers across Calderdale.

"We go above and beyond for our unpaid carers and will strive to commit to even greater work going forward. Our carers are the strongest people we know - this award isn’t just for us but them as well.”

Team member Aisha Ali added: “It’s such an honour winning the Community Integration award.

"Winning this award is a reminder that small acts of kindness and support can make a huge difference in people’s lives. I couldn’t feel any prouder!”

The Making Space Colleague Awards recognise and pay tribute to individuals and teams who inspire others, go above and beyond expectations and make a real difference to the lives of the people supported by the adult health and social care charity.