Media Release

18 December 2007

Everton Centre Drivers Scoop Chairman’s Award

A local project involving drivers from the Everton Day Centre has won first prize in an awards ceremony organised by Belfast Health and Social Care Trust. The drivers received the Chairman’s Award in the ‘Patient & Client Safety & Quality Improvement’ category in recognition of the innovative work they have carried out with clients at the Centre.

Traditionally, day centre drivers have been responsible for picking up and dropping off clients at their homes – bringing them to and from the day centre and other activities during the day as required.

Now the drivers attached to the Everton Day Centre are fulfilling a caring as well as a driving role – helping with mealtime activities, assisting with the day centre’s activity programme, working one to one with clients with special needs and, for some, also helping with personal care duties.

Recognising the strong bond which already existed between clients, their families and the Trust drivers, management from the Trust’s transport services and staff at the Everton Day Centre suggested that the drivers could contribute even further to the client’s quality of life and to their day centre experience.

They now spend considerably more time with clients than previously. The driver/carer initiative has been warmly welcomed by clients, as well as by their families. The involvement of drivers in the client’s daily activities and development has brought an additional dimension to the day centres where the scheme operates.

Assistant Support Services Manager, Martin Diamond, who accepted the award on behalf of the drivers, said: “Everyone at the Centre is delighted with this Award. All of the drivers have been very enthusiastic about taking on additional responsibilities and in undertaking the necessary training. I am delighted for the drivers, the Day Centre clients and their families – this is an excellent initiative and has been rightly recognised.”

In the first Chairman’s Awards since the formation of the new Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, Chairman Pat McCartan commended the drivers for their innovative approach to their jobs and their dedication and commitment to the clients who depend on them. The winners were presented with a cup and a cheque for £10,000 to be invested in their service area.

What started as a pilot scheme at the Everton Centre has now been introduced to ten more centres with plans to roll it out across the Belfast Trust in the coming year.