Wigan care team wins charity award recognising its support for residents with mental illnesses

The team at Kingshill residential home, in Standish, was named winner of the Co-Production category at the Making Space Colleague Awards.

Staff were recognised for their commitment to working with residents.

They received a trophy at a ceremony held at the Hilton Hotel in Liverpool, which featured a speech from motivational speaker and leadership expert Gavin Ingham.

The audience heard how the team’s outstanding approach was present in everything they did, from staff recruitment to meal planning.

Judges praised their significant enthusiasm and commitment, along with the comprehensive programme of co-production activities.

This year, more than 150 people were nominated for the Making Space Colleague Awards, which recognise 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.

Making Space trustee Elaine Johnston and chief of operations Nick Farmer judged the Co-Production award.

They selected the Kingshill team for its “flexibility in responding to the views and choices of residents at short notice”.

They said: “There’s strong evidence of involving clients and their families in how the service runs and how their comments and complaints are handled in an open manner."

Making Space co-production co-ordinator Mark Thornton, who nominated the Kingshill team for the award, said: “The team works with residents to increase their independence and actively encourage them into supported employment and volunteering.

“Everything is arranged together, including trips, arts and crafts, parties, groups, fund-raising and even recruitment. The team has demonstrated its commitment to working in partnership with residents consistently over the last few years and has developed its own materials to make sure residents stay actively involved.”

Colette O’Neil, registered service manager at Kingshill, said: “I feel extremely proud of both the team and the residents at Kingshill.

"Everyone works so hard to ensure we are delivering a quality service. We strive to ensure that residents are at the forefront of everything, so it was amazing to receive recognition for this. This award is a massive achievement for everyone at Kingshill."