Call to Action group triumphs at regional awards ceremony
The Council’s Call to Action team were among the winners at the Cardiff and Vale Safeguarding Recognition Awards.
Marking the end of National Safeguarding Week, the awards aim to celebrate groups and individuals that have made a major impact in the field.
The Call to Action team came out on top in the Exceptional Commitment to the Safeguarding of Adults at Risk category.
It was formed in June 2021 to provide a multi-agency and multi-professional approach to supporting people following a closure of two residential care homes.
With the closure of the two homes coming in quick succession and at a tumultuous time for the sector, the logistical challenges of placing the residents quickly were huge. The Call to Action group was formed to ensure that, despite this, it was always the needs of residents that were put first.
The work involves a strategic and operational approach to the provision of domiciliary care.
The hard work done by the team has been instrumental in managing the successful transition of residents from care homes and, more recently, managing the domestic care pressures throughout the pandemic.
The team co-ordinated their efforts to identify alternative placements, ensuring that the options were discussed with clients and their families.
The recognition awarded to the team highlights their commitment to supporting vulnerable adults and their focus on safety and wellbeing.
Their work stands as a great example of sharing responsibility and working towards a common goal. At one of the most challenging periods ever for the sector, the members of the group were able to prioritise the needs of residents over the many other competing operational demands on their time.
Social Care Finance Co-ordinator and member of the Call to Action group, Janine White said:
“I feel extremely proud to work alongside a team that dedicate themselves everyday to the safeguarding of vulnerable adults.
“It is the first time that the team has been recognised for the hard work that they do and this award shows the achievements of different teams within social services who pull together under difficult circumstances.
“It has been an extremely tough couple of years within the sector and the team pride themselves on putting the citizens of the Vale at the forefront of their minds. This recognition is well deserved by all who have been involved.”
Beth Zehetmayr, former manager of Tower Hill Care Home, said:
“Staff have been excellent throughout this process, ensuring that the quality of care remained high throughout and the transfers were done safely and respectfully.
“The Council, the team of social workers and Care Inspectorate Wales worked with me throughout to ensure that the transition was managed in the best way possible.
“A great deal of care was taken to match individuals to the right homes, even taking into account factors such as their friendship groups.”
The impact of the group’s work has been so positive that its remit has been extended, shaping future practice in the Vale and beyond.