Huge congratulations to our Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) staff and services who were honoured at this year’s Glasgow Times Community Champions Awards 2021 on 1 December.

Our HSCP’s Health Improvement Quit Your Way staff won this year’s Citywide Uniformed Services Award, and our HSCP Homelessness Services staff at the Chara Centre were finalists for the North West Area Public Service Award. 

The Quit Your Way Community Teams offer week-to-week support to those in our local areas who find it hardest to quit smoking.  They’re there to help people to quit, and to support them to make one of life’s hardest lifestyle changes.  Stopping smoking is an incredibly difficult thing to do for many people, as smoking is incredibly addictive and very habitual. Many people the teams work with have smoked for 30 or 40 years.  It’s part of who they are, and yet they know it’s causing them harm and desperately want to quit. For many, the money that they spend on cigarettes is needed for other essentials, and this is their reason for quitting.

Heather Bath, Health improvement Senior within our HSCP said: “Moving from a face-to-face clinic service before the COVID-19 pandemic, our advisors and business support teams, all working from home, began supporting all of our clients over the phone. Despite both our clients and advisors facing numerous changes and challenges, the support given to them has been amazing.  In 2020 - 21 we saw 554 people attend the community services successfully quit smoking and make other positive life changes.”

One of the service’s clients said: “When my 12-week certificate arrived I felt elated. I put a picture of my certificate on Facebook and was amazed by the response from my friends. Everyone congratulated me and I sang the praises of the service saying the support was excellent. My son is delighted, too. He’s very proud of me, and I spoke to my GP who’s delighted with my success.”

Karen McNiven, Health Improvement Manager within our HSCP’s South Locality said: “It’s wonderful that all the hard work and efforts of the Health Improvement - Quit Your Way Teams across the city have been recognised in the Community Champions Award. The teams have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to support local people to quit smoking and improve their health. Importantly, the staff have been very flexible and changed how they delivered the services to ensure they met the needs of local communities and patients during this difficult time. Well done to all the staff involved, a great achievement.”

If you want help to quit please visit NHS Inform’s website or call the Team on 0800 916 8858.

Our HSCP’s Chara Centre was also nominated by a local community centre in the North West of the city for the Glasgow Times Public Service Award.

Geraldine Lynch, Residential Services Manager, HSCP Homelessness Services said: “The service provides appropriate accommodation and support options to meet the needs of some of the most vulnerable women in our city with complex needs. This is achieved by a holistic approach to assessment, provision of a safe environment, same-sex staff and gender sensitive approaches. The staff team are experienced and highly motivated, and we have strong links with partnership agencies and local service providers.

“Through collaborative working with those who use our service, colleagues in health and social work and housing providers we’re able to proudly combine a high quality service with a high standard of accommodation, and we’re honoured to have been nominated locally for this Glasgow Times Award.”