ACHIEVING RESULTS AT SCALE AWARD
South Lanarkshire CPP
Reducing Inequalities in the coverage and uptake of the 27-30 month universal Child Health Review
South Lanarkshire health and social care partnership identified inequalities in the coverage of the 27 month Child Health Review, with uptake from families ranging from 52% to 91%.
Family uptake in areas of multiple deprivation was noted to be particularly low and a quality improvement package was developed, tested and implemented. This was supported by health visiting Improvement Champions, who empowered staff to make changes and apply better use of local data.
As a result of achieving and sustaining improvement at scale, the health visiting teams have achieved an incredible 26% increase in uptake of the child health review and exceeded their improvement aim. Significantly, they have closed the uptake inequity gap from 11% to 4% between children living in the most and least deprived areas.
CO-PRODUCTION WITH FAMILIES AND OUR SERVICES AWARD
Midlothian Sure Start
Lawfield Community Project Partnership
Lawfield Primary School in Midlothian was experiencing difficulty with low morale, a high level of exclusions, lack of community involvement and poor attainment levels.
When the local authority approached the voluntary sector for help, the Lawfield Community Project Partnership was formed to create a multi-agency intervention.
Using quality improvement methodology, the partners delivered a package of support, including regular meetings between families and staff; art, play and music sessions; one to one support where it was needed; a Dads inclusion project; sleep advice; a befriending service; and family counselling.
The impact has been transformational! There has been an 85% reduction in exclusions and a reduction of 741 in absence days. Plans are now underway to roll-out this unique collaborative approach to nine additional primary schools and one secondary school.
EXCELLENCE FOR QI IN MATERNITY, NEONATAL AND PAEDIATRIC SERVICES
Royal Hospital for Children, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
Ventilator Associated Pneumonia and Quality Improvement – a clinical care bundle within a tertiary paediatric intensive care unit to reduce the compound rate of VAP
Staff in the paediatric intensive care unit at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow have been working hard to reduce the incidence of ventilator associated pneumonia among children in its care.
An improvement project involving medical, nursing and education staff was undertaken which included a video and e-learning package, one-to-one lectures and assessment for nurses. The model for improvement was used to test changes in processes and monitor the impact of these through data collection.
The initial aim of the project was to achieve a 50% reduction in ventilator associated pneumonia among children. Through consistent effort, embedded practice and ongoing quality improvement within the unit, a 78% reduction has been achieved.
With a sustainable and scalable model now in place, there is scope for other clinical teams to benefit from this innovative quality improvement project.
EXCELLENCE FOR QI IN EARLY YEARS
NHS Ayrshire and Arran
The SPIN team universal early years approach – promoting communication friendly environments
The speech and language therapy SPIN team at NHS Ayrshire and Arran set out to test, evaluate and deliver initiatives that support early years establishments to have communication friendly environments. The team aimed for 90% of early years establishments in North Ayrshire to engage with the project, with a nominated communication champion appointed at each location.
Working in partnership with North Ayrshire Council, this quality improvement project has been driven by a desire to deliver universal speech and language support at the earliest opportunity in a child’s development.
The universal approach has seen the successful development of a communication champion network, training packages for early years staff and positive engagement with parents, including workshops, parent evenings, drop-in sessions and community events.
Training attendance rates are high, as are engagement levels with parents. Early years practitioners and parents and carers are reporting the positive impact that the project has had on them and their children. Ninety per cent of early years establishments now have an appointed and active communication champion, and the team is seeking to launch ‘Communication Friendly Environment’ accreditation for early years establishments to further develop their work.
EXCELLENCE FOR QI IN PRIMARY YEARS
Our Lady of Peace Primary School , Renfrewshire
Using Nurturing Approaches to improve children’s social and emotional wellbeing and readiness to learn
The Sunshine Group at Our Lady of Peace Primary School in Renfrewshire provides targeted nurture support to children with a range of emotional and social difficulties.
Using quality improvement methodology, the school created key changes to improve the children’s wellbeing, behaviour and readiness to learn – all of which can directly impact educational attainment.
Key changes that were tested and measured included monthly parent drop-in sessions, a planning tool to inform consistent delivery, integration with a whole-school approach to nurturing, and evaluation of the impact of the changes.
As a result, 93% of children in the Sunshine Group have made improvements in social, emotional and behaviour measures. Furthermore, the whole-school nurturing approach has been implemented consistently across the school and is being up-scaled to include 22 other schools across the authority.
EXCELLENCE FOR QI IN SECONDARY YEARS
East Ayrshire Council, Stewarton Academy
Active Reading Strategies to support literacy development across the Stewarton Education Group
East Ayrshire Council’s Stewarton Education Group, which involves learners at early years, primary and secondary levels, was keen to develop a consistent approach to literacy development that would work at all levels of education.
Their quality improvement project, successfully developed and tested in a secondary school, focused on active reading strategies, involving pupils in all stages using an age appropriate reading mat to help them interpret text in a variety of contexts, in and outside the classroom.
Measurement and feedback from parents reveals the reading mat has transformed reading at home with their children and raised attainment.
The project has been so successful that staff have been approached by other parents, whose children are not involved in testing, to find out if they too can have access to a reading mat.
INSPIRING LEADERSHIP AWARD
Carrie Lindsay
Executive Director of Education & Children’s Services, Fife Council
Carrie Lindsay has recently taken up the post of Executive Director of Fife Council Education and Children’s Services, a position no doubt earned in part by her vision and leadership of quality improvement.
Carrie has demonstrated first class leadership to communicate her vision for quality improvement for Fife and to embed improvement methodology within day to day practice. Her commitment to quality improvement has led to the allocation of funding and resources, as well as strategic buy-in across the Council.
She is passionate about supporting families to realise their potential and tackling inequalities. Most importantly, Carrie values people, which means she has an inherent ability to connect with people – whether children, parents or staff – and help them be the best they can be.
MOST INSPIRING OR INNOVATIVE PROJECT AWARD
Renfrewshire Council, Glencoats Primary School
Enhancing Early Level Learning Project
Glencoats Primary School in Paisley is located in the most deprived area in Scotland. Data showed that pupils entering primary one arrived at a disadvantage in terms of their early skills, behaviours and health.
Recognising these developmental challenges, the school used quality improvement to test, evaluate and introduce the Enhancing Early Level Learning model – or EELL for short. EELL was created to increase motivation in their youngest learners by being responsive to their developmental learning needs as opposed to using more traditional teaching methods.
The model encompasses the principles of early level development and relies heavily on the use of responsive and purposeful play experiences. The infant department has been remodelled to immerse children in a nurturing environment and ethos. Engaging families in building positive and productive relationships with school was at the core of this project.
The new ethos has completely transformed the school, with data and evaluation highlighting that 88% of all primary one pupils are now achieving a high level of health and wellbeing and motivation and involvement.
QUALITY IMPROVEMENT CHAMPION AWARD
Fiona Riddell
Classroom and Additional Needs Assistant, Stow Primary School, Scottish Borders Council
Everyone at Clovenfords and Stow Primary Schools believe that Fiona Riddell deserves an award for her relentless focus on improving outcomes for children.
Fiona took on the task of applying quality improvement to reduce the number of pupils achieving below expected levels in numeracy. To achieve this, she implemented a significant shift in how she supported pupils, from a ‘broad sweep’ approach in the classroom to targeted one to ones with each pupil.
Fiona has taken her approach to other schools across the Scottish Borders area, advocating quality improvement and one-to one support for pupils to head teachers and support for learning teachers
She has also had visitors from Chile, America and Denmark come to learn how the quality improvement methodology can be applied to education in their countries.
TOP TEAM AWARD
Royal Hospital for Children, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
Helping Us Grow Group (HUGG): Our model of family integrated care delivered by staff and patient families of the Neonatal Unit
The Helping Us Grow Group – or HUGG for short – is a unique collaboration of staff and families at the neonatal unit within Glasgow’s Royal Hospital for Children.
Parents wanted to be more involved in their child’s care and, in response, the team designed, tested and evaluated a unique model of family integrated care, built around staff and parent engagement.
As a result of developing and trialling new innovations and applying quality improvement, while continually listening to parents and reviewing practice, the entire team is now fully engaged with families, and they have created a new connected and collaborative culture in their busy neonatal unit.
HUGG’s unique approach is improving the experience of families of sick children, helping to meet long-term health and wellbeing outcomes, and inspiring change in teams throughout the UK.