National deafblind charity highlights work of Hertfordshire County Council
04 March 2013
National deafblind charity, Sense, is celebrating examples of good practice and partnership working with the Independent Specialist Care Awards. The Awards celebrate the achievements of the best performing private and voluntary sector providers in the provision of social care support for people with learning or physical disabilities or mental health conditions.
Through its partnership working with Hertfordshire County Council, three year old Lewis Steadman, of Welwyn Garden City, who was born with significant sight and hearing impairments, is supported by an intervenor who provides one to one support twice a week. This support promotes Lewis's personal and social development and enables him to really connect with the world around him.
Lewis’s parents, Emma and Carl Steadman, comments: “This truly is an amazing service. The progress that Lewis has made since the intervenor has been working with him is truly astonishing.'
As a result of the services provided for deafblind people, Sense has nominated Hertfordshire County Council for Commissioner of the Year within the prestigious Independent Specialist Care Awards for its provision of services to deafblind children and adults. Sense highlighted the council as a model of good practice and as an example of how collaborative working can be a success in improving the lives of deafblind people.
The attributes of successful collaborative working is mostly due to the council’s deafblind worker, Jackie Kidd of Sensory Services. It is Jackie’s dedication for the past nine years that has driven the pioneering work forward to ensure the needs of deafblind children and adults are appropriately met.
The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on 12 March 2013.
Peter Cheer, Group Director of Operational Services for Sense, comments 'We nominated Hertfordshire County Council for this award because of its positive and proactive approach to the needs of deafblind people. The service in Hertfordshire is a great example of how appropriately trained, one to one support can make a real difference to the independence and well being of deafblind adults and children. Without this input, we believe that deafblind people would not be able to live as actively and independently and in turn, require further professional support that would impact on the demands of the local authority. Not only does this service offer invaluable support and guidance, it can extend to being a preventative service for local authorities.'
Hertfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Care, Colette Wyatt-Lowe, comments, 'We are delighted to receive this nomination in recognition of our collaborative partnership working. I am very proud of the quality of our work in this field and it is satisfying to have that acknowledged by others.'
For further information, please contact Sense PR Manager James Gosling on 07976 715767.