Two Falkirk teams earn national awards for dedication to social services

Fielding a combined entry to this year’s Scottish Social Services Awards, Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership’s Joint Dementia Initiative (JDI) and Caledonia

Service have been awarded Excellence within Mental Health Services, while Falkirk Council Women’s Justice Service has been triumphant in the Excellence in

Justice Services category.

The teams picked up their prizes at the Glasgow Science last week when the winners were announced at the ceremony, which showcased and celebrated best practice within Scotland’s social services sector.

The national awards programme, launched in 2017, is organised by the Scottish Government and the Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services to

highlight commitment, innovative approaches, and raise the profile of the sector.

Service manager Ali Walls praised the team at the Women’s Justice Service, which provides trauma-informed mental health and community-based support.

“This is a huge achievement for our small, dedicated, team. Winning this award provides recognition for the unique challenges faced by women in the criminal justice

system and the tailored approach we have designed together to provide each woman with needs-led specialist support services.”

The JDI and Caledonia Service were awarded Excellence in Mental Health Services for their recent work to transform both services and offer more support options

throughout the community.

Margaret Thom, JDI team manager, said: “I’m pleased our teams have received the praise they deserve on this national platform. Colleagues have been working hard

to create support options throughout our local communities for people living with dementia and mental health conditions. Our two services work closely to learn from

each other and foster a community of support – so it’s great we have received this award together.”

The successful Falkirk winners were two of three local entries nominated to the awards, with Falkirk’s Learning Disability Team also a finalist within the Excellence in

Disability Services category

The team’s new Making Choices, Keeping Safe programme is just one example of how services have already been improved – with tailored sexual health and relationship support being rolled out for people with learning disabilities and their families.