NHFT win three awards at the annual Positive Practice in Mental Health Awards
The three awards that the team took home were the “All Age Crisis and Acute Care for the Integrated Response Hub”, the “Seni Lewis Award for the Liaison and Diversion Team with Northants Police” and an “Outstanding Leadership Award” for Adam Smith, Deputy Director of Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Autism.
The All Age Crisis and Acute Care for the Integrated Response Hub reflects the excellent work of the team behind the 24-hour mental health number and our coproduction team who play a significant role in ensuring that our services meet the needs of service users and carers. Coproduction is a significant part of service design and delivery at NHFT and many of those involved in this work were celebrated at the awards evening.
The Seni Lewis Award for the Liaison and Diversion Team with Northants Police celebrates the new and innovative work on compassion in supporting young people in Police Custody. NHFT and Northants Police have introduced a “Trauma Informed Room” in Police Custody with the aim of understanding a person’s trauma and experiences that have led them to that point and showing a compassionate response to individuals.
Finally, Adam Smith, Deputy Director of Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism at NHFT picked up the Outstanding Leadership Award. Adam’s leadership has seen the development of the Trauma Informed programmes, increased coproduction activity and significant progress in the Countywide Mental health, learning disability and autism collaborative.
Anne Rackham, Director of Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism at NHFT said: “We are delighted to have won these three awards which demonstrate excellence in our Leadership and across our Mental Health programmes.
“We are committed to delivering outstanding compassionate care for our service users and carers, and by involving them in our programme development, we can learn from and use their lived experience to inform and design our programmes around these needs. Our new Trauma informed rooms mean that we can deliver compassionate care to patients in times of distress, and support individuals in their recovery.
“I’d like to congratulate Adam on his leadership award, his commitment to coduction and compassionate care reflects his values as a person. Adam has worked tirelessly to reach out, understand and continue to learn from peoples lived experience, modelling to our teams the value of different perspectives and experiences to build better services.
“On World Mental Health Day, its important to celebrate these successes and celebrate the importance of the impact of this work on our staff, our services users and families. It is just as important that people in our communities are aware of the different levels of support on offer through NHFT if they find themselves experiencing mental health problems.
“At Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust, we have a range of services to support individuals with varying levels of need, from crisis support through to low or moderate level mental health concerns. If you, or someone you know is experiencing mental health concerns, please reach out for support so that we can ensure our trained professionals provide you with the best possible care and support.”
Many people will be facing additional difficulties as winter approaches this year, which can impact upon an individual’s mental health. If you have been feeling low for some time, this could be a sign that you need some support with your mental wellbeing. “IAPT Talking Therapies” Northamptonshire will work with you to put a plan in place. You can opt for online or face to face support. Take the first step today by completing our online form.
Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT) provides community and mental health services across the county. NHFT and Mind provide 24-hour mental health support any time of the day or night. Call 0800 448 0828, lines are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you are in a crisis or in need of face-to-face mental health support, join us at one of our drop-in cafes. Check opening times and find a café near you. “Espresso yourself” cafes are also available for young people aged 11-18, across the county.
If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts or feel as though you want to end your life, please know that there is support available ready to help you.