Blackwood has been commended with the coveted award

EDINBURGH-based Blackwood Housing and Care has been awarded a gold award for its service by Investors in People.

The Awards acknowledge teams and organisations that make a difference every day in their industries and seek to recognise excellence.

Blackwood was praised for the way in which it ‘lives by its values’ and the fact its ethos was understood and carried out by staff across the company.

The charity seeks to enable those with disabilities to live their lives as independently as possible and places cutting edge technology at the heart of its plans for the future.
Commenting as she presented the award at the Blackwood AGM, Mary Leishman, Investors in People Assessor, said: “I enjoyed assessing Blackwood and visiting different parts of the organisation from across the country.

“I was overwhelmed by the way it lives by its values. The board functions on the basis of these values and all decisions are taken with them in mind.

“Every person I spoke to fully understood them and knew exactly how to articulate the standards of the organisation.

“The care given by Blackwood is very much about its people and it does everything to ensure its staff and customers are happy and healthy. Winning this award is a marvellous achievement.”

Blackwood was recognised for its CleverCogs™ system – an innovative digital care system which allows customers to be as independent as possible and take control of their own lives.

The bespoke technology tailors each device to the wants and needs of the individual and gives users control over their care and support. It also enables customers to browse the web, email, do their shopping and even catch up with friends and family.

Fanchea Kelly, Blackwood Chief Executive, said: “It’s testament to the hard work of our teams across the country that we have been recognised with this wonderful award.

“We’re thrilled to have been given it and are proud of the positive feedback we’ve received, particularly on the clear focus and plan we have as an organisation.

“Our recently launched customer engagement plan helps to ensure that we continue to put our people at the heart of everything we do.

“We firmly believe in the benefits technology can have for our customers so it was great to hear that our CleverCogs system was recognised as a particular highlight for the assessors.”

Since it was founded by Dr Margaret Blackwood in 1972, Blackwood has been a pioneer in both housing and care, constantly innovating in ways large and small that transform the lives of its customers, helping them to live as independently as possible.

Blackwood’s aim is to do whatever it takes to help people have control over their lives in accommodation that meets their needs. It has an outstanding record of adapting properties from entire renovations to minor adaptations which are incredibly liberating to those involved.

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