ExtraCare wins Outstanding Approach to Innovation at UKHA

ExtraCare has won the Outstanding Approach to Innovation award at the UK Housing Awards.

The awards, launched in 1997 and organised by housing magazine Inside Housing and the Chartered Institute of Housing, recognise achievement in social housing.

The Outstanding Approach to Innovation category was looking for an organisation that successfully embedded innovative approaches and practices, delivering better outcomes and reducing costs.

This represents work across ExtraCare including care, health and well-being, resident involvement and volunteering, commissioning, marketing and PR, recruitment and training, operations and research.

Its standout work was for dementia services, which supported 440 residents in 2015 through specialist staff called Locksmiths.

Michael Spellman, who leads ExtraCare’s Enriched Opportunities work for residents with dementia said: “We have a number of residents who live with dementia and some may experience becoming a mystery to those around them. A Locksmith is there to unpick the mystery and use what they learn to create better care and quality of life.”

National Audit Office figures indicated that if ExtraCare’s Enriched Opportunities Programme was rolled out to all extra care homes in England over two years, the savings through reduced inpatient care and less utilisation of intensive housing care provision could be £21million.

ExtraCare’s Commissioning and Healthy Lifestyle Director Angela Bradford said: “We’re thrilled with this award which included our recent research with Aston University. The research proved that the Charity’s innovative approach supports older people to live independent lives within inspirational retirement communities that holistically integrate homes, care and lifestyle. The research also demonstrated that this approach offers significant savings for the public purse.”

The award was accepted by residents from ExtraCare’s Pannel Croft Village in Birmingham, Millie Gobbinsingh and Christine Williams, and two members of staff from St Crispin Village in Northampton, Well-being Advisor Sue McGilligan and Locksmith Andrew Machaeson.