Firefighters’ Safe and Well shortlisted for award

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) has been selected as a shortlisted finalist in the Public Health category in the 2018 LGC Awards for the Safe and Well initiative.

The awards, run by Local Government Chronicle, are the biggest and most prestigious awards ceremony for the local government sector. The winners will be announced in a ceremony at London’s Grosvenor House venue on 21 March 2018.

Nearly 100 organisations have been shortlisted as finalists in the coveted awards, which recognise the best of local government innovation and service delivery.

CFRS Service has been shortlisted for the partnership work they have been involved in with Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS), Public Health England, NHS England and Cancer Research UK to increase participation in the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme via the Fire and Rescue Service Safe and Well visits.

The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme, introduced in 2006, identified that there were difficulties in engaging with people aged 60-74, facing multiple barriers with regards to participation, embarrassment, fear of the outcome and poor health literacy with regard to understanding the importance of completing the test. Given the trust the community places in fire and rescue services, the Safe and Well visits, firefighters are able to talk to residents to allay fears over the bowel cancer screening.

The visits began across Cheshire in February 2017, with the Service offering a free ‘Safe and Well Visit’ to people who are aged over 65 and for people who are referred to them by partner agencies because they are considered to be at a particular risk.

The visits incorporate the traditional fire safety information (and smoke alarm fitting), and also offer additional advice on slips, trips and fall prevention, bowel cancer screening as well as offering additional support to those who wish to stop smoking or reduce their alcohol consumption. Additionally in Halton, the Service is also screening people for Atrial Fibrillation, one of the causes of the most severe strokes.

The Service’s Head of Prevention, Nick Evans, said: “We are delighted to have been shortlisted for such a prestigious award. This collborative work has recognised the advantages to our communities of including health awareness in what were home safety assessments and are now known as safe and well visits.

Our firefighters and advocates received specific training from Cancer Research UK personnel and, from 1 February to 3 November this year, our personnel conducted 32,059 visits resulting in 1951 referrals to the NHS England Bowel Cancer Screening Hub for a kit to be sent out to the householder. At least three have tested positive for bowel cancer and are now receiving treatment. We have also screened 1052 people for Atrial Fibrillation, resulting in 32 being signposted to Primary Care for treatment.”

The high quality of this year’s entries demonstrates local government’s enthusiasm to innovate in an era in which councils’ budgets have been cut. The awards seek to identify and recognise local government’s greatest innovators, whose achievements are often under reported.

With budgets at the forefront of priorities, it is even more important this year to shine a spotlight on the achievements of those councils whose pioneering best practice can inspire other councils to improve services.

LGC editor Nick Golding said: “To be shortlisted for an LGC Award shows a council service is among the country’s most innovative, and doing the most to support the needs of local residents as councils face continuing budget cuts. We should salute the council officers and councillors doing the most to ensure our vital public services thrive in the era of austerity.”

Winners will be announced on 21 March 2018 at Grosvenor House on London’s Park Lane which will be attended by 1,100 people from local government and its partner organisations.

The full list of finalists can be found at awards.lgcplus.com

More information about Safe and Well visits can be found on the Service website – http://www.cheshirefire.gov.uk/home/safe-and-well-visits