A FAMILY-RUN nursing and care service is seeking to change lives in Swindon after being awarded a 10-year contract to support people in their homes.

First City Nursing and Care has secured a contract, worth up to £10million over the period, by Swindon Borough Council to provide domiciliary services.

Staff have already hit the ground running, using four-wheel drive cars to visit vulnerable people in the weekend’s cold snap and dig out their cars.

First City are using a new, innovative model of care, called the ‘jigsaw’ approach, that will involve a number of agencies and organisations working together to help around 1,600 people lead as independent lives as possible.

The service was selected following a competitive tendering process and will be responsible for the provision of care and support in people’s homes.

The ‘Jigsaw’ approach will be tailored to each individual in order to support them to reach their own personal goals and outcomes. Each part of an individual’s jigsaw will comprise help and services that will support them to be as independent as possible, using homecare, external services, the voluntary sector and a person’s own network of support. A key focus of this work will be helping people to return home from Great Western Hospital at the right time and with the appropriate level of support in place. First City has already appointed a Patient Liaison Manager who will be based at the hospital to work with people on their discharge plans and co-ordinate the necessary support.

The business, which has delivered care for over 30 years, was recently rated as ‘outstanding’ in terms of leadership, delivering good care to people across Swindon, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire. It has almost 700 staff across the group, with around 380 based in Swindon.

Originally set up by nurses Keith and Mary Trowbridge, both of whom are still active within the business. Their son Stephen is now Managing Director and his brother David is Head of Marketing and Recruitment initiatives.

Stephen said: “We are thrilled Swindon Borough Council has awarded us this domiciliary care contract. For over 30 years First City has been dedicated towards providing the highest quality of care to our clients in the region, which has often meant finding different solutions to the problems that people may come to us with. This has set us up to be in an ideal position to take on this contract for Swindon Borough Council’s Domiciliary Care Services.

“Our jigsaw approach will also enable other local business and care providers to work alongside us and contribute not only to the local economy but also help shape and deliver care packages that will have a real benefit to people.”

The contract has already been running for two weeks and staff rallied to the challenge when the borough was blanketed in snow and ice.

Stephen said: “We had staff going round in the snow in 4x4s and they were able to show their hard work and dedication. We had two teams driving round Swindon with hot drinks, blankets, tow ropes and shovels. They dug people’s cars out and went round for 48 hours and got things moving. They are second to none.”

Cllr Brian Ford, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Adults’ Health and Social Care, said: “We are delighted to have awarded this contract to First City Nursing and Care, who have an excellent track record of working with Swindon Borough Council in the delivery of care to vulnerable people. This contract presents a great opportunity to continue this relationship and work towards developing a new model of domiciliary care across Swindon.”