This year, Insurance Corporation of the Channel Islands is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Health and Social Care Bursary, which helps HSC staff bring their ideas to life, improving the provision of health and care in the Guernsey Bailiwick.
As Covid cases continue to rise in the Bailiwick, the protection of our community and health and care services is paramount. Fortunately, after implementing strict measures to reduce the risk of any infection spreading, Insurance Corporation has worked with Public Health to allow the presentation event to go ahead in a significantly scaled-back manner.
This year there were a number of impressive applications and it was not an easy task to shortlist them down to the final four. Staff behind the two projects that are considered to be the most beneficial to the island win a top prize of £2,500, or a runner-up prize of £1,000.
Earlier this month, a panel of judges from HSC and Insurance Corporation heard presentations from each of the four finalists, finding out more about their ideas and how they envisioned they would help patients, families and the community in the future.
After a difficult deliberation process, the judges awarded the top prize of £2,500 to Kelly Marquis’ project. Kelly (pictured) is a paramedic frailty practitioner on secondment from the St John Emergency Ambulance Service to HSC for two years to look at setting up a frailty specialist service.
Kelly proposed a ‘Cake & Consultation’ programme which would proactively reach out to the elderly population to identify problems with frailty in their infancy, before the patient requires emergency response or hospital admission. Patients would receive milestone birthday cards from the age of 70, from St John and HSC, inviting them to attend frailty practitioner assessments. The prize money will help towards the funding of this scheme and the purchasing of any specific equipment needs following the frailty assessment.
The runner up award was presented to the chairperson for Bailiwick Maternity Voices, Rachel Le Prevost, and Associate Director for Maternity and Paediatrics Annabel Nicholas. Their project recommended developing a Bailiwick Maternity App to help provide expectant mothers and their families with helpful, up-to-date information. The information, which is currently in leaflet form, would be easier for the whole of the Bailiwick to access online – and more likely to be read – better supporting expectant parents and their families to make informed choices about their care and birth plans.
This year’s other finalists, whose projects were highly commended were:
- Social workers Margaret Scarlett and Christine Miller ‘Shared Lives Respite & Carer Support Scheme’
- Elderly Care & Oncology Dietician at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital Helen Simpson ‘Eat & Enjoy! Improving the dining experience for people living with dementia’
Matt Jones, Director of Operations at HSC said: “The Insurance Corporation Bursary Scheme which has operated since 1991 makes a real difference to our staff and the work they deliver for our community across health and social care. The award drives innovation and directly supports our commitment to continually challenge and transform our services.
“The greatest challenge we have is choosing a winner from the many quality applications we receive each year. All applicants have fully embraced the ethos of the Partnership of Purpose and I would like to thank both our staff and friends at the Insurance Corporation for their engagement and support of this important initiative.”
The top prize in 2019 was awarded to Deborah Harris, Moira Norman and Olwen Bain-Brehaut to fund their project ‘Reminiscence Therapy for Patients with Cognitive Impairment’ [RITA], helping patients with memory loss and head injuries.
All attendees received a negative lateral flow test in the morning, masks were worn throughout the entirety of the event (except when food was served to their tables), table numbers were reduced to a maximum of five, social distancing was enforced, the guest list was significantly reduced and there was no contact/handshaking. In addition, the room was well ventilated and anyone with any symptoms – however mild – was asked not to attend.
Insurance Corporation is grateful for Public Health’s support in recognising the significance of this event to allow the winners to be properly recognised and to give them the opportunity to get their projects off the ground during these extraordinary times. The last 20 months have proved how crucial the Bailiwick’s health and social care services are and, in this ever-changing climate, it is important to continually look to improve them where possible to best serve our community.
Main photo credit: Chris George.
