WINNER
#diabeteschat
by Peer Support Community
#DiabetesChat fosters connections among individuals affected by diabetes, providing a trustworthy platform for exchanging ideas and raising awareness. Our @diabetes_chat hosts weekly Twitter Spaces with open discussions, #thursdaythreads, fun facts, and guest speakers. Our secure community brings together people with diabetes, caregivers, healthcare professionals, athletes, and advocates worldwide. With a reach of over 150,000 in under 18 months, it has set its foundations organically and strongly in the diabetes community. Our mission is to connect, share experiences, support each other, transfer knowledge and promote diabetes awareness across all types.
Judges' comments:
"The judges loved that the #diabeteschat offers 24-hour support and allows users to control their own visibility. It is a unique and novel project, done extremely well in a modern way. The entry was exceptionally well-written and bought to life with brilliant media. It brings everyone together and the use of social media means access to a large number of individuals. An amazing project!"
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Type 1 Kidz Project
by Investing in Children
Type 1 Kidz (T1KZ) is a project for children and young people living with Type 1 Diabetes and their families in North East and North Cumbia; facilitated by Investing in Children CiC. T1KZ aims to improve the confidence of children and young people, improve their health outcomes and improve clinical experiences by working in partnerships with all local clinical teams. Children and young people are at the heart of the project and it's led by a Young Person's Coordination Group and overseen by Professional Steering Group.
Judges' comments:
"The Type 1 Kidz Project goes above and beyond expectations. Every detail was thought through and the feedback was great. The judges really liked that it allowed focus on families, particularly siblings and were struck by efforts at inclusion. Results show the breadth and success of the project."
COMMENDED
Diabetes UK Northern Ireland 'Live Well Hubs'
by Diabetes UK Northern Ireland
Diabetes UK is the leading diabetes charity in Northern Ireland, a region within which 112,000 people live with diabetes.
Our Live Well Hubs are innovative one-stop-shops providing information, advice, and peer support to improve the health and wellbeing of people living with diabetes in the community. The Hubs provide free support for individuals and their families covering general awareness and resources, mental health, physical activity, weight management and nutritional advice.
By creating a warm and welcoming environment, people using our Live Well Hubs will gain knowledge, confidence, and empowerment to enable them to live well with their diabetes.
Judges' comments:
"Diabetes UK Northern Ireland have produced a really good piece of work looking at both T1 and T2. It is a strong model to follow and the judges could see the improvement in engagement for more deprived areas. It was very well written and demonstrated good patient understanding, with a clear definition of the challenge and concept. It also provides great psychological health support."
COMMENDED
Talking Diabetes Together: A Peer Support Group for People Newly Diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes
by Swansea Bay University Health Board
People newly diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes can feel overwhelmed, alone and find it difficult to cope. They may find education difficult to take on board and need support from health care professionals, creating multiple appointments and demands on time.
This initiative aims to support people, newly diagnosed Type 1 Diabetes within Swansea Bay University Health Board. It provides an opportunity to come together to attend a virtual, monthly support group to discuss living with Diabetes to promote self management. People are able to discuss their emotions, frustrations and how to deal with Diabetes day to day.
Judges' comments:
"Swansea Bay University Health Board had written a straightforward, high-quality entry. The results, feedback and dissemination were of an exceptionally high standard. The judges liked the commonality of the group, the focus on newly diagnosed patients and could see the clear improvement in pre and post users."
COMMENDED
Derby T1 Diabetes Peer Support Model
by The Derby Peer Support Model: A collaboration between University Hospitals of Derby and Burton and the local population living with Type 1 diabetes
The Derby Peer Support Model, established in 2016 from collaboration between people living with Type 1 diabetes and the local healthcare team, has been hugely successful. It now supports over 800 people to connect and share experiences via the Derby T1 Diabetes Facebook group. Underpinned by the NHS England 6 principles of peer support, almost all would recommend the group to others. The Derby Peer Support Model is a source of information and emotional support; a no-cost model with positive outcome data recently presented at Diabetes UK 2023. This model could easily be adapted and used in other diabetes localities.
Judges' comments:
"The Derby T1 Diabetes Peer Support Model was a well-run project, with an excellent video. The judges liked that safety considerations had been included and it was about shared experience. They were very impressed by the passionate Facebook group. The objectives were simple and clear and it is available and accessible for all. The survey results were nice and clear, it is low cost and easily replicable."