Council’s Bev helps inspire change in health and social care
Bev was named as one of the top 50 women in the country at the latest Health Service Journal (HSJ) Most Inspirational Women in Healthcare awards.
The HSJ is a leading source of news and information on health management, and the awards celebrate the women who drive transformational change in healthcare.
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Hide AdBev was among a long list of nominees, and received the prestigious accolade because she meets the following criteria: Delivers outstanding leadership; Acts as a role model/mentor to colleagues; Shares knowledge and expertise with others in the sector; Drives innovation in service redesign and research; Is at the heart of shaping and influencing policy.
Judges said that: “Her work has been widely recognised, and it’s right we recognise her too.”
Bev has worked for Calderdale Council for over two and a half years, leading a team whose priority is to support people to have the greatest amount of choice and control over their lives, and to safeguard people in our communities who have physical disabilities or mental health issues, and older people.
Bev has led the transformation of the Council’s adults’ health and social care services, making them more personalised and giving people more say in how their needs are met. At this year’s Association of Directors of Adult Social Services Conference, the Council’s work on personalising home care in the area was cited as an example of national best practice.
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Hide AdMany more people are now being supported to make their own decisions on how to best spend their personal budgets. For example, rather than day centre type services, they may choose to attend community-run social groups to meet other people and socialise. To help tackle loneliness in Calderdale, the Council is working with other local organisations to develop this further.
Its Neighbourhood Schemes programme has supported over 650 people in the last year to get involved in community, voluntary and statutory sectors’ participation or volunteering opportunities.
Bev, whose work history has been solely in social care and health-related areas, has worked on the national development of personal budgets, which contributed to changes in policy. She also presented her work to Nygoya University in Japan.
The HSJ judging panel was made up of a range of representatives from the healthcare sector, including Health Education England; the NHS Leadership Academy; the Royal College of Nursing; and the National Institute for Health Research’s Clinical Research Network. Nominees could be from either a clinical or non-clinical background.
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Hide AdBev said that the accolade is due to the fantastic staff in Adults, Health and Social Care who are able to adapt to change and work as a team to support the people of Calderdale.
“Whilst it is flattering to receive an award like this, they are never about one person and this is about acknowledging the importance of pulling together,” she said.
“Health and Social Care is facing considerable challenges and it is more important than ever to work collectively to make sure we deliver the best possible support to improve the outcomes for real people.”