A HEALTH team including an independent home care provider in the town have been nominated for a prestigious Nursing Times award for their innovative work in helping student nurses understand the caring needs of older people.

Valerie Ebrahimi and Liz Cooper, both academics with the University of Chester’s faculty of health and social care, worked on a joint initiative with Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Home Instead Senior Care, based on Warrington Business Park.

The team is in the running for the HRH Prince of Wales Award for Integrated Approaches to Care – one of nine entries shortlisted in the category.

The project, 'Student nurses in domiciliary care', introduces student nurses to the concept of domiciliary social care, helping improve their understanding of care for elderly people at home and the need for support that will allow people to remain independent at home for as long as possible.

Catharine Chalton, director of care at Home Instead Senior Care Wirral, said: “Home Instead aims to change the face of ageing by delivering bespoke care to people at home, and the project involves students shadowing experienced, well-qualified care and junior care managers.

“They learn to consider the domiciliary setting as ‘the norm’ for most elderly people, and understand the importance of delivering supportive care and re-ablement services. They are encouraged to reflect on the ‘home from hospital’ journey some elderly people will make.”

The project provides a unique learning experience for students, as it crosses the boundaries between health and social care.

Professor Annette McIntosh-Scott, executive dean of the faculty of health and social care at the university, paid tribute to the collaborative work of the three organisations.

She said: “This is a long-term project that has only been made possible by all three organisations embracing the opportunity to effect attitudinal change, seek realistic solutions to enhancing patient care and service user experiences by encouraging understanding and partnership working across all sectors of health and social care.

“The team has achieved a great deal, and the project will help us develop qualified nurses who understand the social care sector and naturally think about care at home and re-enablement rather than disablement and institutional care.

"We are extremely proud that their work has been recognised with this prestigious nomination.”