Kyle of Sutherland Development Trust and Sutherland housing team scoop Partnership Award
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Two Sutherland organisations which are working together to help residents in the county facing financial hardship, have won an award.
Highland Council’s Sutherland housing services team and the Kyle of Sutherland Development Trust (KoSDT) scooped the Partnership Award in the authority’s 2023 Staff Recognition Awards.
The housing services team and KoSDT have established a “very successful” two-way referral relationship which is directly benefitting Highland Council tenants most in need in the area. The award recognises the excellent working partnership between the teams.
Sutherland principal housing officer Marina Grant explained: “As a frontline service, Sutherland housing is in a key position to identify individuals, families and households who are potentially struggling financially and would benefit from support.
“With the individual’s permission, the team is able to complete and submit applications to KoSDT on their behalf. The partnership has allowed us to directly help those who most need it in a quick and highly effective way.”
Between March 2021 and December 2022, KoSDT delivered seven separate rounds of hardship support, totalling £140,000 across Sutherland. As a result of the partnership work, 81 households including 106 children have been given support to help with essential items such as home energy, clothing, food and wellbeing activities.
KoSDT Manager, David Watson, said: “The KoSDT team are really grateful that the Sutherland housing services team recognised the value of our partnership by nominating both teams for this award.
One of KoSDT’s key aims is to improve the lives of local people and working in partnership has ensured that we can reach people who need a helping hand as we recover from Covid and deal with the ongoing cost of living crisis.
Although we wish that we didn’t have to provide hardship support at all, our relationship with the housing services team means those most in need are being helped in a dignified and respectful way.”
The award was presented by the chairman of the health, social care and well being committee, Cllr David Fraser, and Stewart McQuillian of Wipro – a sponsor of the event – at a ceremony in the Kingsmills Hotel, Inverness, on June 9.
The teams received a certificate from Trees for Live and a Scots Pine will be planted in Glen Affric to commemorate the event.
