LIFE-CHANGING SCHEME WINS AWARD
First published at 11:36, Wednesday, 15 July 2009 Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk
Alan Chelton was directed to the condition management programme by Jobseekers Plus after going through a bad time which led to his confidence plummeting to rock bottom. Cumbria’s condition management programme helps people overcome barriers in getting back to work. The programme was runner-up in the Success in Partnership Working category in the national final of this year’s Health and Social Care Awards.
Mr Chelton, 50, said: “I had trouble with reading and writing and I signed up through the dole. I started going to the class at Millom Network Centre and I’ve never looked back. I’m feeling brilliant in myself and my confidence is sky high. I think to myself ‘I wonder where I would be without it’. Before I did the course I was living in a world of my own. I wouldn’t do anything, I wouldn’t get involved in anything, because of the embarrassment of it. It needed to be resolved because it was affecting me. The class does me the power of good and I help out at the centre as well. I volunteer to help them set up rooms and so on when they have conferences. Before the first class I was petrified, but they have been brilliant.”
Originally from Manchester, Mr Chelton worked in the steelworks and at the shipyard in Barrow, before working at Haverigg prison. But about eight years ago he found himself jobless and single. He said: “I was at absolute rock bottom. I had no job and no wife within three weeks. Now the sky’s the limit.” He hopes to secure a job soon.
After winning the North West final in June, the team was one of three shortlisted from the 10 regional finalists. Pam Travers, condition management programme manager, said: “The standard of excellence across all the finalists was phenomenal. “The award ceremony was spectacular. The whole evening had an atmosphere that we were all winners – we certainly felt that way having made it so far.”
The programme has been run since April 2006 by Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, which provides mental health, learning disability, drug and alcohol and condition management services across the county, along with Jobcentre Plus. CMP is available for new claimants of incapacity benefit, to help them avoid becoming reliant on benefits in the long term.
The service has been so successful that planned referrals for this year are 868 – over double last year’s. Bryan Betterton, trust chairman, said: “It’s a fantastic achievement, not just for the condition management programme but for Cumbria as a whole, that this service has been recognised amongst the best in the country. It is an outstanding acknowledgement of hard work and dedication of our staff.” Claire Noden, team leader for CMP South Cumbria, was one of 10 staff who went down to the awards. She said: “It was a fantastic night and a privilege to be part of something so special.”
The ceremony took place at the Excel Centre in London on July 8, and was hosted by TV presenter Gabby Logan. It was attended by some of the most prominent figures in health and social care, including NHS chief executive, David Nicholson and Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson.