The 2019 COSLA Excellence Awards were held on Thursday 10 October in St. Andrew’s. The awards celebrate the very best in Scottish local government.

Two services from Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) were shortlisted for the awards. These were Tomorrow’s Women Glasgow and the Recovery Communities, with Tomorrow’s Women Glasgow winning Category 2: Achieving Better Outcomes in Partnership.

Tomorrow’s Women Glasgow (TWG) is a unique partnership including Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership (nursing, social care and psychology staff), Scottish Prison Service (SPS), The Wheatley Group housing services and third sector partners, including SHINE PSP and Turning Point Scotland.

The Tomorrow's Women partnership works with women involved in offending or returning from custody, who have limited support, have been assessed as being at high risk of reoffending, harm or custody, and have complex lives. The partnership takes a trauma-informed, assertive outreach approach, providing consistent and flexible support, meeting practical needs and building safety, security and trust.  The service offers a space where partners co-locate, and women can engage in group-work and access additional support from partners such as welfare rights, legal advice, education and the arts

 Anne Gallacher, Team Leader at Tomorrow’s Women said: “We are absolutely delighted to win this prestigious COSLA award.  What has enabled so many positive outcomes for women over the past six years is not only the commitment, dedication and investment of all partners within Tomorrow’s Women itself, but also external partners such as Community Justice Glasgow, Glasgow Kelvin College, the Citizens Theatre, Govan Law Centre, Glasgow Soroptomists and many others.  We are so grateful for the support and encouragement we have received, that has enabled women to transform their lives, and so we warmly share this award with all our partners."

Glasgow Recovery Communities were shortlisted in Award Category 3 - Tackling Inequalities and Improving Health. Working in partnership with Glasgow City HSCP, Glasgow City Alcohol and Drug Partnership and the Third Sector, Recovery Aftercare is provided in the community by dedicated volunteers with lived experience.

Complimenting statutory services, it is crucial for people to sustain recovery from drug and alcohol misuse, preventing relapse and returning to treatment and care.  Acting as advocates, promoting behaviour change, Recovery Aftercare is reducing inequalities and ensuring equal access to healthy lifestyles.

Susanne Millar, Interim Chief Officer, Glasgow City HSCP said: “I’m delighted that the Tomorrow’s Women Glasgow service won the award for Achieving Better Outcomes in Partnership.  Congratulations to everyone in this service for all their hard work, and commitment which is recognised by this award – I am incredibly proud of the partnership approach in this service to working across different agencies and including women in a genuine co production approach to service delivery, to support them in changing their lives and future.  Congratulations also to the Recovery Communities for being shortlisted.”