The overall winner in the Nelson Marlborough Health Quality and Innovation Awards (HQIA) was the community collaboration project Marlborough Clued up Kids.
This was one of the awards presented in a ceremony at the District Health Board, Seminar Centre in Nelson. Over 60 people attended the ceremony for the local health innovation awards that all health providers funded by NMDHB were eligible to enter.
The programme has real life role plays (known as sets) arranged in the form of an interactive course organised and delivered by community safety agencies. These sets have scenarios which include rail safety, water safety, emergency response, cyber safety, fire safety, and dog safety. At each set the students are presented with a number of tasks and problems and are assessed on their responses.
Mrs McCone said the programme that has been running for five years has a lot of community involvement and is held in Brayshaw Park each year.
The programme takes 500, ten and 11 year olds from Blenheim Schools per year and runs the programme over a week.
“This programme shows our community at its best, it is the building blocks of a healthy community, all the people involved care about the kids and give their time and energy to make it happen.
“We take kids at an early age and give them a good community experience, an interactive experience that has an element of learning in it.
She said the pupil evaluations done prior to the programme and repeated after participation in the programme show the high level of learning achieved.
The winning entry in each category received $750; the highly-commended prize was $400. The overall winner received a further $400 and the HQ&IA trophy. Prize money must be used for professional development, education or service enhancement.
The agencies involved in Marlborough Clued Up Kids are: ACC, Baden Powell Scout Guild, Brayshaw Park Committee, Cancer Society, Carters, Civil Defence, Croads Honda, Furniture To Go, JR Charters, Kiwi Rail, MDC Harbours, MDC Road Safety, NZ Fire Service, NZ Police, Public Health NMDHB, Railway Modellers Club, Riverside Railways, St John, Tow and Salvage Marlborough, Vintage Care Club, Vintage Machinery.
The local judging panel made up of former Board members evaluated the entries and graded them on whether the health related activities encouraged innovation, increased patient safety or promoted excellence in quality.
ENDS