Leeds city council has been named “winner of winners” at the annual Skills for Care accolades. The awards, which took place in London on Thursday evening, recognise the best employers in adult social care.
The council also won the best recruitment initiative for its We Care Academy, which aims to find people with the right values to work in adult social care, and then ensure they remain working in the sector. Sharon Allen, chief executive of Skills for Care, said the academy was doing “exemplary work” and that the award was “well-deserved”. Allen praised the achievements of all the winners, “who are all united by an absolute commitment to invest in quality learning and development opportunities for their workers”.
The We Care Academy, formed in partnership with Barnsley College, Job Centre Plus and local providers, invites potential applicants to sessions with I Care Ambassadors so they can learn about what working in social care entails. After the interview process, successful candidates are given two weeks of training, before undertaking a six-week placement at a local adult social care provider. High levels of support given to those on placement has resulted in good retention figures.
The full list of awards
- Winner of winners – Leeds city council
- Best recruitment initiative – We Care Academy, Leeds
- Best employer of under 250 staff – Hand in Hands
- Best employer of over 250 staff – Local Solutions
- Best individual employer who employs their own care and support staff - Linda Moss (awarded posthumously)
- Best provider of learning and development – The Smart Enterprise
- Best employer support for Apprenticeships – The Fremantle Trust Development and Education Centre
- Best employer support for the assessed and supported year in employment (ASYE) – Essex county council adult operations
- Most effective approach to integration and innovation – Stockport Council Reablement and Community Home Support Team (Reach)
- Best employer use of workforce intelligence – Norfolk and Suffolk Care Support and Norfolk county council HR shared services
