A Night to Remember: Celebrating Our Success at the LGC Awards

Earlier in the week, we had the honour of attending the Local Government Chronicle (LGC) Awards, one of the most prestigious recognitions in the public sector. To say we are proud is an understatement. Out of over 1,000 entries from across the UK, our collaborative initiative was selected as a finalist, a testament to the impact and importance of what we’re building together. We also got to spend the celebrations with some of the amazing people who are all part of making the magic happen.

This initiative is a partnership between Leicester City Council, Leicestershire County Council, Rutland County Council, and These Hands Academy. While our work is grounded in connected care, it’s essential to recognise that this programme is deeply embedded in the everyday realities of residential care and supported living, empowering staff with a shared common digital and verbal language to recognise and respond to clinical deterioration early and confidently.

And that's what this is all about: improving lives. Local government exists not for processes or paperwork, but to make meaningful differences in people’s lives. Every project, every partnership, every late night and big idea, it’s all for the people in our communities.

People like Chris and the people around him. Additionally, supporting care providers are people like Harj from the East Midlands Care Association.

Chris Is Turning 40 — And That’s a Big Deal

Chris has Down syndrome, and next week, he turns 40. That might seem ordinary to some, but not long ago, this would have been extraordinary.

When I was born in 1970, a person with Down syndrome had a life expectancy of just 10 to 12 years. Back then, children like Chris were often institutionalised, denied access to basic healthcare, and lived in a society that barely understood or acknowledged them. A heartfelt thank you to the LGC Awards team for helping make Chris’s milestone birthday truly memorable with such a kind and delicious gesture.

(Bittles et al., 2007)

How Far We’ve Come

Thanks to decades of medical progress, cardiac surgery, early interventions, and community-based living, the average life expectancy for someone with Down syndrome today is around 60 years — and rising.

(Glasson et al., 2016)

In Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland, we’re proud to be leading that change. With technology like Whzan, and the person-centred approach we have embedded into the Connected Care Programme, we’re pushing boundaries in supported living, giving people like Chris the opportunity to live longer, fuller, healthier lives.

Scaling Impact Across the Region

Chris’s story is just one among thousands. Today, the Connected Care Programme spans across more than 3,000 residents in residential homes throughout Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland. This is not a pilot or a theory — it's a fully embedded model of care that is transforming the way health and care professionals respond to people’s changing needs.

Through continuous monitoring, digital tools, and collaborative working, we are now identifying signs of deterioration earlier, enabling faster, better-informed decision-making, and supporting end-of-life care planning with greater compassion and coordination. For families and frontline workers alike, this means fewer crises, fewer hospital admissions, informed choice, and better dignity in care at every stage of life.

The value and impact of this programme is reflected in the findings of These Hands Academy’s Connected Care Evaluation, "in their words” 2024, which highlights significant improvements in clinical decision-making, reduction in avoidable hospital admissions, and better support around end-of-life planning. The evaluation also underscores the human side of these outcomes, where digital innovation meets genuine care.

But There’s More Work to Do

The LeDeR Report (2024) reminds us all that people with learning disabilities are still dying earlier than the general population. The top causes of death remain respiratory illness, cardiac conditions, and cancer, with 42% of deaths classified as avoidable.

Chris reaching 40 is more than a birthday; it’s a symbol of how far we’ve come, and how much love, care, advocacy, and innovation it’s taken to get here. It’s a win for Chris, for his family, for those who support him, and for everyone working in care to make the impossible possible.

So while we raise a glass to our success at the LGC Awards, we also raise one to Chris and the amazing people around him, and we also raise one to every single person whose life our work touches. Because at the end of the day, this is what it's all about.

References

• Bittles, A.H., Bower, C., Hussain, R., & Glasson, E.J. (2007). The four ages of Down syndrome. European Journal of Public Health, 17(2), 221–225.

• Glasson, E.J., Jacques, A., Wong, K., Bourke, J., Leonard, H. (2016). Improved survival in Down syndrome over the last 60 years. Journal of Pediatrics, 169, 214–220.e1.

• LeDeR 2024 – King’s College London

• These Hands Academy (2024). Connected Care Evaluation Report. Internal publication.