Good practice and Achievements
Signs of Safety – a collaborative approach to care
Safeguarding children and vulnerable adults is always our number one priority, and Signs of Safety is our model of service delivery. This innovative, strengths-based, solution-focused approach encourages social workers to work collaboratively with families. It encourages parents and carers to take an active role, providing them with the tools to shape their own solutions and the flexibility to adapt to changing situations.
Signs of Safety is now widely recognised as a leading approach to safeguarding practice. As the first local authority in Wales to develop the Signs of Safety approach as an adult practice model, we are proud to be setting the standard in Wales as leaders in implementing Signs of Safety across both services.
'The Signs of Safety model fits well with all of our existing person-centred approaches in adult substance misuse service. It has proved particularly effective working with family members to promote their own wellbeing. This enables them to establish boundaries so that they do not take responsibility for their loved one’s alcohol and/or drug use, often resulting in positive changes to the substance misuse.'
Alex Panter, Senior Social Work Practitioner in the Community Drug and Alcohol Team.
As well as training employees across a variety of settings in the use of the Signs of Safety model, we receive enquiries about our approach to Signs of Safety and it’s implementation from across the UK. In 2018 and 2019 we hosted two national showcase events with multi-agency attendees from home and abroad. This is what Viv Hogg, a keynote presenter in major child protection conferences worldwide and co-author of several papers on the Signs of Safety practice had to say about our work in Pembrokeshire:
'Seeing evidence of Whole Service Implementation – rare as hen’s teeth.'
'Great example of involving partners, training the right people and doing it early.'
'To implement Signs of Safety you need to create a culture of appreciation and here you are sharing stories of success.'
'The most important factor in successful implementation is Leadership and I am seeing that in abundance.'
Our Intermediate Care Team
Bringing together a collection of services across health, social care and the third sector, the new Intermediate Care Team supports people to be as independent as possible, enabling them to live and age well in Pembrokeshire. The team provides rapid, short-term access to therapeutic, nursing, social and practical support to help preventing hospital admission and enable discharge.
Our Awards
We are immensely proud that our achievements and successes have been recognised and celebrated through a number of awards and nominations in a variety of categories celebrating excellence and innovation in social work practice.
MJ Achievement Awards (June 2024)
The Pembrokeshire Supported Employment Programme was a finalist for the “Innovation in Children’s and Adult’s Services” category.
Gold Award Revalidation (February 2024)
The South Community Mental Health Team was revalidated their Gold Award through Investors in Care. This award is for the support given to unpaid carers, helping people recognise that they are carers and then try to ensure that the carer has the right support themselves to continue to provide support for others.
The West Wales Regional Partnership Board Awards (March 2024)
Celebrated outstanding work undertaken by health and social care staff (including volunteers) across the West Wales region. We were recognised in a number of categories as follows:
- In the Co-production Category which celebrates a project or a team who have demonstrated true co-production and continuous user led leadership and collaboration, Julie Cunningham from the Integrated Family Support Team (IFST) received first place and Pathways to Employment Social Media Team received a Highly Commended.
- The Workforce Development Award went to Sarah Hanley, Team Manager with our Health & Social Care Team of Assessors receiving a Highly Commended
- Pembrokeshire Community Hub received a Highly Commended in both the Integrated Care Award category which celebrates improving the lives of our citizens through joint arrangements and integrated working and for "Team of the Year" which celebrates the team who has shown excellence in collaboration and partnership.
Fostering Excellence Award (October 2023)
A teenager from Pembrokeshire with ambitions of becoming a police officer won a Fostering Excellence Award, the UK’s most prestigious fostering accolade, recognising her exceptional achievements. The annual Fostering Excellence Awards are the UK’s most prestigious foster care awards, celebrating outstanding achievements in fostering and recognise those who make exceptional contributions to foster care every day.
MAWWSB Safeguarding Practice Awards (June 2023)
The Mid and West Wales Safeguarding Boards for Children (CYSUR) and for Adults (CWMPAS) held its second award ceremony to recognise the contribution key workers from a variety of public sector agencies have played in keeping the most vulnerable children and adults in our communities safe. Their work was recognised across eight categories.
Gareth Tucker, Manager for Provider Services won the award for Significant Wider Community Safeguarding – Practice that has had a Positive Impact on the Community in the Safeguarding of Children or Adults, whilst Karen Panter, Julie Cunningham and Cheryl Loughlin picked up an award for Long Service Recognition/ Lifetime Achievement Award for Contribution to Safeguarding Practice and Development for Children or Adults at Risk.
West Wales Health & Care Awards (October 2023)
Recognise those in the community whose efforts in the health and care industry have gone above and beyond. The award for Community Based Team of the Year went to our Pembrokeshire Older Adult CMHT who had to demonstrate impact, very strong teamwork, strong communication, and the ability to work across organisational boundaries.
Good practice and achievements
Social Care will always be challenging, but our work makes a positive difference to the lives of the people we support, and we are proud of our achievements. Our senior management team is creating a culture of appreciation and openness to change thinking and transform practice. We are setting the standard as leaders in the implementation of the Signs of Safety model across both Adult and Children’s services, and have received a number of prestigious national accolades celebrating innovative practice in categories such as ‘Excellent Teamwork’ and ‘Inspirational Employer’ for initiatives which include our new strengths-based approach to Appreciative Supervision. By continuing to look for new and pioneering ways to enhance our practice we have the power to change lives. We need people with the passion and ability to make that change happen – that is why we need people like you.