The
shortlist for the Guardian Public Services Awards 2009 has been announced. Now
in their sixth year, the Awards, have become established as the leading celebration of excellence
among organisations commissioning or providing services. NMHDU have sponsored this year's Complex Needs Category.
The
awards fall into three main categories. Service Delivery comprises: Children and young people, Complex needs,
Carers, families and communities, Care of older people, Housing and
regeneration, and Transport and mobility. Innovation and Progress includes: Sustainability, Transformation, Customer
service, Partnership working, Diversity and equality, and Frontline engagement.
The Special Awards are: the Citizenship and volunteering, award, the Guardian
Public Servant of the Year award and the overall winner.
This
year's shortlist comprises services and projects from all over the UK,
including a Fire & Rescue service who are helping young people to develop a
range of life skills, a bus service for over 70,000 people with limited
mobility and a community project set up by students to help support local
people with dementia and their carers.
The final five nominations for the Public Servant of the Year are also
revealed today. The public can vote for the
winner of this category at www.guardian.co.uk/publicservicesawards.