A Winning Formula
The HealthWatch Recognition Awards
A ground-breaking agreement between public sector organisations and the voluntary and community sector in Medway and Swale has won an award.
The Medway and Swale Voluntary and Community Sector Framework, finalised last year and signed by the leaders of 13 organisations, strengthens the collaboration between councils, health and care bodies, and their partners in the third sector, with the aim of building strong and resilient communities. The vision set out in the framework also seeks to put prevention at the heart of health and care services.
The framework, thought to be the first of its kind, was recognised in the Innovation and Excellence in the Voluntary Sector category at the 2023 Healthwatch Recognition Awards held at the end of March. The event celebrated the best in health and social care in Kent and Medway.
Nikki Teesdale, Director of Health and Care Integration and Improvement at the Medway and Swale Health and Care Partnership, who led the work to develop the framework, received the award in front of an audience of over 200 guests.
Nikki said: “I was delighted to accept this award on behalf of all the partners who were involved in developing this framework. It was designed to move us from having a good working relationship to transforming the way we collaborate across the public, community, and voluntary sectors to build more resilience within our communities and prevent some of the health and care issues that we see in our population.
Friends CEO Martyn said “The Friends and Medway Community Healthcare understand the benefit and value of a successful collaboration and partnership working. Medway has a vibrant and diverse voluntary sector and through collaboration and partnership working we can together bring added benefit to our communities. The Friends are very proud to be part of this network of innovation and honoured to have been recognised for our collective foresight”.
The Friends Team have a daily fundraising target of £2,500 a day so we can help support The Wisdom Hospice with their care of over 400 people in their own homes, the acute trust and within our 15-bed ward at The Wisdom Hospice.