In any sphere of life awards should be about more than recognising the quality and achievements of the winners – valuable though that is.
They should provide an opportunity for other people and organisations working in that field to see what they can learn from the winners to improve their own work.
Given that EAC’s Housing for Older People Awards are decided by the residents of retirement housing and housing with care schemes, they are potentially an invaluable learning opportunity for the providers and commissioners of housing for older people.
Residents and managers of the 26 winning schemes will discover at a celebration lunch in Birmingham on 24th September whether their scheme has a won gold, silver or bronze medal.
The awards, which are now in their fourth year, are decided by residents, who score their retirement housing or housing with care schemes on a range of factors through playing a unique card game developed by EAC.
With four years’ worth of results and the card game now increasingly used outside the awards process as an effective tool for resident consultation, we are beginning to establish a clear picture of what matters most to older people and to what extent developers and providers are meeting those expectations.
We now have feedback from more than 1,100 schemes and nearly 12,000 residents.
Residents can have their say on everything from the location and design quality to the attitude of staff. By doing so, they are not only recognising high quality accommodation or service but contributing to a set of data that providers, investors and commissioner should be drawing on in managing existing facilities or planning new specialist accommodation.
The data we have accumulated helps EAC in providing advice and information to the thousands of older people and their residents who ring our helpline for advice about accommodation and care every year.
Our awards celebration at Birmingham’s National Motorcycle Museum later this month will not only celebrate the very best in specialist accommodation for older people. It will provide everybody involved in the sector with an enjoyable – and unique – opportunity to learn.
Even if your scheme is not shortlisted this year, why not book your place so you can enjoy a very different sort of learning and training experience?
Bookings close on 13th September
Housing Awards Bookings 2013-EAC.xls (48.00 kb)
CategorySponsorshipPackage2013-Rev04.pdf (106.42 kb)
