Projects to welcome Ukrainian refugees in the running for Scottish Public Service Awards
Three separate projects to help welcome refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine are among the nominees for this year’s Scottish Public Service Awards.
Now in their tenth year, the awards are run by Holyrood Communications in partnership with the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament to help celebrate the often unsung contribution of our public servants.
Nominees include Edinburgh’s Warm Scots Welcome, a community and voluntary sector partnership which has helped welcome more than 11,000 Ukrainian refugees since the Russian invasion early last year. The initiative, which was organised in collaboration between the City of Edinburgh Council, Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council (EVOC) and Volunteer Edinburgh (VE), is in the running for the Voluntary Sector Partnership Award.
Also nominated is Edinburgh Ukrainian Welcome Hub, a partnership between the City of Edinburgh Council and the Royal Bank of Scotland which has supported Ukrainians arriving in Scotland through providing property and facilities management, opening simple bank accounts, raising aid, distributing donations, volunteering, running events, giving specialist expertise and offering women tech training and employment. The project is in the running for the Commercial Partnerships Award.
Also in the running for that award is Warm Scottish Welcome – Digital Services, a joint initiative by the Scottish Government’s Digital Commercial Service and Leidos. The project helped deliver a state-of-the-art digital matching tool to help identify temporary accommodation for those who needed it.
Other nominees include Police Scotland’s Hate Crime Campaign which launched in April and took a public health approach to target those at risk of offending. It is nominated in the Campaign of the Year category alongside the Scottish Government’s Cost of Living Crisis communications and Transport Scotland’s Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel Communications Campaign.
The nominees for the Leadership Award are Alexandra Stein, of the Scottish Government’s Berlin office; Irene Oldfather, director of Strategic Partnerships, External Affairs and Outreach at the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland; and Lorraine Glass, interim director at respectme, Scotland’s anti-bullying service.
Inspired by the collaborative spirit of the late Campbell Christie, a former general secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Council (STUC), the Scottish Public Service Awards were launched in 2014 with the aim of identifying and rewarding best practice, teamwork, innovation, and clear leadership across Scotland’s diverse public services.
The finalists will find out who’s won at this year’s award ceremony which takes place in the Garden Lobby of the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday 6 December hosted by Deputy First Minister Shona Robison and Presiding Officer Rt Hon Alison Johnstone MSP.
Mandy Rhodes, managing director of Holyrood Communications, said: “The Scottish Public Service Awards continue to go from strength to strength. Once again, this year’s nominees reflect some of the excellent work going on across all of our communities which doesn’t always receive the recognition it rightly deserves.
“This year’s list of nominees is one of our strongest yet. I look forward to celebrating all their achievements at the awards ceremony on 6 December.”
The full list of nominees:
The Campbell Christie Public Service Reform Award
- Alcohol and Substance Awareness Programme
I Am Me Scotland, Renfrewshire Children's Services, and Police Scotland
- The National Trauma Transformation Programme
Scottish Government, COSLA, NHS Education for Scotland, Resilience Learning Partnership and the Improvement Service
- Prevention of Youth Homeless Programme
West Lothian Council
The Campaign of the Year Award
- Corporate Communications Hate Crime Campaign
Police Scotland
- Cost of Living Crisis Communications
Scottish Government Communications Division
- Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel Communications Campaign
Transport Scotland
The Project and Programme Management Award in partnership with the Association for Project management
Social Security Directorate, Scottish Government
- Integrated Regional Employability and Skills Programme (IRES)
IRES Programme Management Office, Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal
- Scottish 4G Infill (S4GI) programme
Scottish Government and Scottish Futures Trust
The Commercial Partnerships Award
- Edinburgh Ukrainian Welcome Hub
The City of Edinburgh Council and the Royal Bank of Scotland
- Supplier diversity within the specialist construction portfolio
Scotland Excel
- Warm Scottish Welcome – Digital Services
Scottish Government Digital Commercial Service (DCS) and Leidos
The Leadership Award
- Alexandra Stein, Scottish Government's Berlin office
Scottish Government
- Irene Oldfather, Director of Strategic Partnerships, External Affairs and Outreach
The Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland
- Lorraine Glass, Interim Director
respectme, Scotland's Anti-Bullying Service
The Digital Public Services Award in association with Leidos
Social Security Directorate, Scottish Government
The Improvement Service
Social Security Directorate, Scottish Government
The Community Engagement Award
Renfrewshire Council
Dundee City Council, University of Dundee and Police Scotland
Police Scotland
The Championing Diversity & Inclusion Award
Dundee City Council, University of Dundee and Police Scotland
- Whole Family Equality Project
Capital City Partnership
- Young Carer Short Film - The Weekend
South Ayrshire Council
The Voluntary Sector Partnership Award in association with SCVO
- Amplifying the voices of Care Experienced people
Scottish Police Authority and Who Cares? Scotland
- Edinburgh’s Warm Scots Welcome
Edinburgh’s community and voluntary sector partnership
- People Make Glasgow Communities
Glasgow City Council
The Sustainability Award in association with Vattenfall
- Granton Waterfront Regeneration
City of Edinburgh Council
- Green Anaesthesia Scotland
NHS Scotland, Scottish Government
South Ayrshire Council
The Policy into Practice Award
- Integration of Health and Social Care Practitioners into Civil Service
Health and Social Care Operations, Social Security Scotland
respectme, Scotland's Anti-Bullying Service
- Young Persons' (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel Scheme
Transport Scotland
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