Support Squad Celebrate National Award Win

Community Integrated Care’s Support Squad were proud to take home The People’s Award at the National Learning Disabilities and Autism Awards  on Friday 21st June.

The Support Squad is a national team of experts by experience who are employed to empower organisations to achieve higher standards of accessibility, inclusion and social impact by sharing their insights and lived experience. Through providing advice, assessments and practical input, the team – which is a key part of Community Integrated Care’s partnerships and services to upskill and enable brands, businesses and events, have made real change.

Their work has included partnering with UK Sport and ParalympicsGB on a year-long programme exploring how sporting events can successfully deliver customer excellence for disabled guests, consulting with the organisers of Eurovision 2023, and developing accessible resources for the Rugby Football League to increase their engagement with people who have learning disabilities.

Hosted by social care magazine, Care Talk, the awards celebrate brilliant people, teams and organisations who showcase excellence in supporting people with learning disabilities.

Judges said, “Their pioneering work sets new standards in disability access and inclusion, endorsed by high-level government support. Their enthusiasm, passion, and commitment to making a difference shines through in the support they provide every day. Amazing work.”

Speaking on the award win, Sports Inclusion Assistant, Matt Price said, “It was fantastic to be at the awards and to hear our Support Squad announced as winners. I’m really proud to have been part of the team – it’s been incredible to see how we can help shape events across the UK to make them more accessible for people with disabilities, like me! Receiving this award for our work means the world to us.

We are excited to continue to this work – supporting many more organisations to achieve their aims of being accessible and inclusive, over the years ahead.”

John Hughes, Director of Partnerships and Communities at Community Integrated Care, said, “The Support Squad provides a vital service that unlocks and empowers a more inclusive and accessible society for every person. Through sharing their lived experience and insights with events, businesses, and brands, they have inspired real change and led genuine improvements.”

“Crucially, the Support Squad are driving progress on a national level too – with Community Integrated Care’s partnerships with UK Sport and ParalympicsGB exploring the scope for sporting events to become more accessible and inclusive in the future. We are excited to see the growing interest in their services and support, and look forward to an exciting future for the team.

If your organsiation would like to find out more about working with our charity or our Support Squad, visit our Partnerships page or Get In Touch.