Kirkdale House win gold at GB Care Awards Finals

Community Integrated Care is proud to celebrate our team at Kirkdale House winning a top honour at the Great British Care Awards National Finals in Birmingham, on Friday (17th March).

The team at Kirkdale House in Thornaby support people with learning disabilities and mental health conditions to live independently in their own homes. They were delighted to take home the ‘Housing with Care Award’ at this year’s Great British Care Awards National Finals, recognising them as amongst the best Supported Living services in the UK.

Hosted by Care Talk Magazine, the yearly awards showcase the very best in the social care sector. Following a series of regional events, the winners came together for the finals ceremony on Friday, where national winners were crowned.

The ‘Housing with Care Award’ celebrates a team that has truly embraced providing person centered services to people living in supported housing, meeting a range of complex support needs, and providing the highest quality service to individuals.

Judges said, “It is very evident that Kirkdale House look after the people they support on an individual basis with a person-centred approach. They ensure they are part of the community, giving people structure and purpose to ensure they live the best life. They also highlight the importance of looking to the future to see how they can support the sector as a whole.”

Community Integrated Care was also proud to have another four finalists at the awards:

• Holmdale – The Care Home Team Award, Highly Commended
• Our partnership with Rugby League World Cup 21 – The Care Innovator Award, Highly Commended
• West Lodge – The Putting People First Award, Highly Commended
• Albert Street – The Putting People First Award

Lauren Fisher, Service Leader at Kirkdale House, said, “We were absolutely delighted to take home the Housing with Care Award. I am beyond proud of the whole team. On a daily basis, they manage a variety of complex challenges for the people we support but remain dedicated to keeping people safe whilst always looking for new ways to support individuals to meet their needs, achieve their goals and aspirations, and to live the best life possible. This award is so well-deserved and a fantastic recognition of all of the amazing things that they do.”

Neil Farnworth, Head of Operations for Community Integrated Care in the North East and Yorkshire, said, “It was brilliant to see our team from Kirkdale House win the Housing for Care Award, recognising their outstanding work over the past 12 months. From supporting people to find and maintain voluntary work in their communities to exploring innovative ways to enable people to achieve their dreams, they’ve shown compassion, creativity, and a true commitment to ensuring the people they support live fulfilling and independent lives.”

He continued, “We are also really proud of our four other finalists from across our charity, who were shortlisted. This included our partnership with the Rugby League World Cup 2021, and our teams from Holmdale and West Lodge, all of whom received a Highly Commended recognition for their contributions to the sector and the amazing impact they have on the people they support.”