National win for town charity CIC

ONE of Southport’s most successful social care charities, Community Integrated Care, has been awarded the Charity of the Year accolade at this year’s Charity Times Awards.

This honour recognises its implementation of a strategy of investing to create a greater social impact, meet gaps in community provision, and champion the care sector in an era of austerity.

For two decades, Charity Times Magazine has celebrated the best of the UK charity and not-forprofit sectors with this independently evaluated programme.

The charity was awarded the event’s hallmark honour after being selected from a pool of hundreds entries by an expert judging panel.

Community Integrated Care supports people in Southport who have learning disabilities, autism and mental health concerns.

It has a 31-year history and employs more than 6,000 people.

Judges praised the charity for its bravery in “disrupting the status quo” and acting “as mavericks” with its launch and early implementation of a new fiveyear strategy called We Dare.

The strategy aims to support organisational growth from its current £120m annual income to a £200m turnover within five years, so it can reach and change the lives of more people.

This growth is intended to provide a greater surplus for the charity – which it says will be reinvested into developing high quality care and support services, meeting need in the community in an era of reduced public spending, and better rewarding its workforce.

Judges hailed the “impressive results” that the charity has already achieved within the first 18 months of this new strategy.

It has invested more than £2m in technology, training and infrastructure, to enhance its services and employee experience.

This is underpinned by a strategic focus on employee engagement at all levels.

These investments and efforts have delivered highly impressive increases in colleague satisfaction and quality ratings.

Community Integrated Care has also developed a strong focus on innovation.

Examples of progress include developing the ground-breaking Community Integrated Care Learning Disability Super League, a collaboration with rugby league’s Super League and RFL governing bodies to create a world-first inclusive sports programme for people with support needs.

With this project, and other leading collaborations with major sporting, cultural and community institutions, the charity is championing equal access and opportunities for people with support needs.

Mark Adams, CEO of Community Integrated Care, says: “Winning this award recognises the impact that our charity delivers in enabling people to lead fuller, happier lives, in what is a time of genuine challenge for the social care sector.

“It also acknowledges the importance of the charity sector and social care providers like ours in standing up for what matters most in society and shaping inclusive communities, where everyone is valued.

“Like all care providers, Community Integrated Care is constrained and challenged by the current political and economic climate.

“However, we think it is important that organisations like ours continue to innovate, act strategically and speak out, so we can sustain a sector that is the absolute backbone of our nation.”