East Lothian Council's Housing Teams at Wellwynd Hub in Tranent have won a prestigious Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) award.

The council's Housing Team, in partnership with East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership, won the CIH Excellence in Health & Wellbeing award (sponsored by River Clyde Homes), which focuses on excellence in the areas of fit-for-purpose housing, adaptations and preventative services - Wellwynd Hub definitely fills the bill!

The Hub came about when East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership, working with the council's Housing Service, converted a former warden's flat for sheltered housing into a 'dementia friendly' homely setting. The facility in Tranent features smart technology to assist people requiring technology to help with daily tasks such as reminders or turning on lights by voice command. It has transformed services to people requiring occupational therapy, telecare and housing interventions in East Lothian.

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It provides awareness sessions for Telecare and Technology Enabled Care (TEC) to support staff to find effective solutions for assisting clients with every day activities.

East Lothian Council Health and Social Care spokesperson/Integration Joint Board Chair Councillor Fiona O'Donnell said: "Wellwynd Hub delivers all the CIH award's key criteria - good partnership between housing and health and social care; positive impact on the wider local community; innovative approaches, and successfully dealing with complex needs and issues.

"I know that the Hub has made a real and positive difference to people in East Lothian living with dementia and disabilities, and to their carers. I want to congratulate everyone involved on their very well-deserved win."

East Lothian Council Housing spokesperson Councillor Jim Goodfellow added: "The Hub focuses on taking a joined-up approach to active and independent living for people with mobility problems and works on the basis that taking a holistic view of each person's needs makes a really positive difference. I am very proud of the role that East Lothian's Housing Team has played in this innovative project and the excellent outcomes they have achieved.  I'd like to pass on my congratulations, too, on this great example of truly integrated working."

Chartered Institute of Housing Director Callum Chomczuk said: "Wellwynd Hub was a worthy winner in our health and wellbeing category. The work that the teams in East Lothian are doing is making a huge difference to the lives of some of our most vulnerable fellow-citizens. Partnerships like this one, combining new ideas in housing and health, are at the heart of what the Scottish Excellence Awards are all about, and I'm sure many other organisations across Scotland will be looking at our winners to see how they can apply these solutions to the challenges they face."

(MH/JG)