This is a press release that was sent to the newspapers and radio

We have been named a finalist in the National Training Awards.

This is for our project "Good To Great", which is a staff training and development programme.

We are doing this with a company called Helen Sanderson Associates.

It is hard to be a finalist in these awards. There were lots of interviews and visits to services.

The winners of the award will be announced in September.

Here is the press release from the National Training Awards:

Making good lives great for people with learning disabilities

A training programme has transformed the lives of the people supported by a charity, and made staff happier in their work.

The training programme is called 'Good to Great'. It is about staff working together and helping staff who support people with learning disabilities.

It has won a place in the finals of the National Training Awards 2008 for the charity United Response, and its training partner Helen Sanderson Associates.

Jaime Gill from United Response said:

".. 80% of our services include people with complex and multiple needs. 40% have no speech and many have additional impairments, including physical disabilities,"

"People with complex learning disabilities were not spending much time (11%) of their time engaged in meaningful and fulfilling activities in 2000."

United Response tries to work in person-centred ways. But as people do more things in their lives, support workers had more decisions to make.

Jaime says:

"Some still found it difficult to … make the leap to a genuinely involved life."

United Response got together with a company called Helen Sanderson Associates to develop the 'Good To Great' programme.

They gave two days intensive training to some staff. Then 15 of those people became the coaching team. 15 managers became leadership team.

They made a handbook to help staff.

United Response did some research with the Tizard Centre to show that person-centred approaches worked.

Most people now spend up to 50% of their time taking part in activities.

'Good to Great' is now being used across England and Wales. 

Nick Rogers from United Response said:

"In 27 years in social care, I've never seen a programme have the impact of Good to Great."

"One man, Graham, uses a wheelchair and doesn’t communicate verbally. For years the most significant part of his life was attending a day service where there was over-reliance on dull activities, like jigsaws."

"By using Good To Great tools,working out Graham's abilities, what was important to him, we realised he suited office work.

He went for a JobCentre interview and now works at the Derbyshire Centre for Integrated Living.

He is happier, more engaged and communicates more. 'Good To Great' made that happen."