JOHN Major presented a gold medal this week to chiefs of a service for people with learning disabilities.

It is the second time it has won the government's prestigious Charter Mark award.

The Burnley NHS Trust unit is one of only a handful of winners to retain the prize. It first won a Charter Mark in 1993, and this year it had to convince judges that it had improved on already high standards.

Trust chief David Chew and disability service manager David Whalley received the award from the prime minister at a ceremony in the Queen Elizabeth Conference Centre, London, on Monday.

The learning disability unit, which has a workforce of 250, was the first of its kind in the North West to receive the award.

This time it impressed a team of assessors with the creative way in which it involves patients, families and carers in decision-making and its response to their ever-changing needs.

A delighted Mr Chew described the achievement as tremendous and said he was proud of managers and staff.

Government public service minister Roger Freeman said the unit was among an elite band "blazing a trail for others to follow."

He hoped other organisations in Burnley and Pendle would be inspired to improve services.

Mr Chew said: "The learning disability service is one of the most demanding yet rewarding services in the trust, and it is particularly pleasing to see them rewarded in this way."

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