Glasgow City Council with Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) were named winners at the COSLA 2024 Excellence Awards on 19 September, with the COSLA Chairperson’s Award going to our HSCP’s project Martha’s Mammies.

The Awards recognise and celebrate teams and projects that exemplify best practice and innovative, sustainable service delivery that Scottish Local Government delivers for our communities.

Martha’s Mammies is an HSCP service that supports birth mothers who have lost care of their children on either a temporary or permanent basis. Prior to the implementation of Martha’s Mammies, women who had lost the care of their children in Glasgow had limited specialist support to help them with the grief and the loss that inevitably followed.

Martha’s Mammies is a multi-disciplinary team who work with small caseloads of women to be able to offer flexible, intensive and adaptive support to respond to the needs of individual women. The team has worked well together to make a difference in a short amount of time and have achieved incredible results.

COSLA Awards 2024 Chair, COSLA President, Cllr Shona Morrison presented the award to the Martha’s Mammies Team that includes lived experienced volunteers, accompanied by Susanne Millar, Chief Executive, Glasgow City Council.

Team Leader Stacey McLeary said: “We have had very positive feedback from the women who receive a service from Martha’s Mammies, sharing that they feel more supported and respected and that they can be mothers without question within the Martha’s Mammies environment. This service offers an isolated group of individuals a non-judgemental place to feel connected and supported. I’m delighted that our team have been recognised for the work they do, and the results achieved.  However, none of this would be possible without the incredible women we support, this award belongs to you.  You make this service what it is.”

Jackie Kerr, Interim Chief Officer, Glasgow City HSCP said: “Well done to an exceptional team that has made such a huge difference to the women they support. Many congratulations.”

Susanne Millar also congratulated the team. She said: “Thanks to all of you for all your hard work and effort. Congratulations on receiving this well-deserved award.”

Martha’s Mammies was also the Overall Winner in this year’s Glasgow City HSCP local Staff Awards for Excellence and Category Winner in Team of the Year along with two of the team’s peer support volunteers, who won Volunteer of the Year.