DOUBLE HOUSING AWARD SUCCESS FOR SALFORD CITY COUNCIL

Salford City Council has scooped two awards at the prestigious 2020 Housing Heroes Awards.

The Supported Housing Team won the Frontline Team of the Year and the Support and Care Team of the Year awards at the national award ceremony.

The council was nominated for the phenomenal work over the last 12 months of the Supported Tenancies, Temporary Accommodation and Rough Sleeper Teams for their work with homeless households in the city. These three teams work seamlessly together to make up the Supported Housing Team.

And the awards recognise the significant work of officers who support and accommodate rough sleepers through the A Bed Every Night (ABEN) programme and Rough Sleeper Initiative, as well as the dedicated work to support families through their experience of homelessness. 

In addition, the team in Salford has specialist officers to provide housing support to members of the armed forces community, care leavers, refugees and people experiencing domestic abuse.

Due to the coronavirus the ceremony took place online with Salford City Council officers attending from the comfort of their own home.

Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett said:

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“A big congratulations goes to our supported housing team for all the incredible work they do to help people in our city.

“The team work tirelessly against a back-drop of an ongoing housing crisis and I am pleased they have been recognised nationally for their drive and passion.

“As a result of the hard work we have seen an 80% reduction in rough sleeping, a staggering 169 people are currently safe and comfortable in ABEN accommodation (from a target of 110 people) and over 200 people have moved from rough sleeper accommodation into settled accommodation. “

 

Rachel Connelly, Head of Supported Housing said:

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“I’m incredibly proud of the Supported Housing Service. These officers work tirelessly helping some of the most vulnerable members of our community to access accommodation, health services, financial assistance and the support they need to live healthy and happy lives. The team are committed to eliminate the need for rough sleeping and to provide good quality temporary accommodation and resettlement support services.”

Councillor Tracy Kelly, Deputy City Mayor and Lead Member for Housing and Neighbourhoods at Salford City Council, said:

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“The officers contribute to the council's objectives by placing the person at the centre of their work and ensuring that their voice determines the services offered. This is truly turning lives around for some of our most vulnerable citizens and creating sustainable and inspiring futures with them.

“I look forward to a time when I can visit them and thank them, once again, for all they do. We are very proud to have them working on our city.”

 

Now in its 12th year the Housing Heroes Awards were organised jointly by Inside Housing and Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) to celebrate the transformative passion and commitment of those who represent the very best of the sector.

The full list of Housing Heroes 2020 winners

·         Apprentice of the year - Emma Mason, Derbyshire Dales District Council

·         Central service team of the year - HR team, Cunninghame Housing Association

·         Communications team of the year - Communications team, Habinteg

·         Customer experience award - Accessible homes team, Kirklees Council

·         Development or maintenance team of the year  Repairs team - Great Places Housing Group

·         Equality, diversity and inclusion team of the year - Equality, diversity and inclusivity advisory group, PA Housing

·         Frontline team of the year (over 5,000 homes) - Emergency flood response team, St Leger Homes of Doncaster

·         Frontline team of the year (under 5,000 homes) - Supported housing team, Salford City Council

·         Inspirational colleague of the year Michael Williams, Look Ahead

·         Inspirational leader of the year - Joanne Bartholomew, Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing

·         Lifetime achievement in housing - Tim Brooke, Emmaus Coventry and Warwickshire

·         Support and care team of the year (over 7,000) - Safeguarding team, Poplar Harca

·         Support and care team of the year (under 7,000) - Supported housing team, Salford City Council

·         Tenant innovator of the year - Stuart Hutton-Brown, Great Places Housing Group

For further information please contact: public.relations@salford.gov.uk