Harrow Council scoops top award for supporting residents

In a UK first, the council piloted the use of the online market place for personal budget users, called Shop4Support.

At the NHS London Health and Social Care Awards 2010 on Wednesday, the Harrow model was praised for its proactive approach in supporting independence and choice among its service users and picked up the Support for Independence Award.

Harrow launched the 'Amazon-style' website late last year. The ground breaking site, www.shop4support.com/harrow allows residents shop for services or equipment using their personal budget - a sum of money provided by the council for them to spend to meet their social care needs.

Welcoming the award Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care, Health and Wellbeing, Cllr Margaret Davine said:

"We are very proud to be a national leader in giving residents in need of social care greater choice and independence.

"Personal budgets are about putting residents in control and the shop4support service enables them to live full and active lives as independently as possible.

"We are thrilled with the award but the hard work will continue as we look to roll out shop4support to all of our social care users."

The shop4support site was created to help the Council move towards personalisation - a new way of tailoring social care services, putting the person in control. The Council aims to provide 35% of the 6,000+ individuals it supports with a personal budget by April 2011.

Over the last three years Harrow has pioneered this new person centered approach and is currently the second highest in London when it comes to the take-up of personal budgets.

David Bowes of shop4support said:

"We are so pleased to have won the award - Harrow Council have shown how councils can harness the web to make the personalisation agenda a reality that really makes a difference to people's lives".

The shop4support site was created to help the Council move towards personalisation - a new way of tailoring social care services, putting the person in control. The Council aims to provide 35% of the 6,000+ individuals it supports with a personal budget by April 2011.

Over the last three years Harrow has pioneered this new person centered approach and is currently the second highest in London when it comes to the take-up of personal budgets.