Take a look to see the external awards that our staff and teams have won:
2024 awards
November
Serving up success at Bright Ideas Awards
Researchers and clinicians from our Trust, Teesside University, community organisation Middlesbrough Environment City and Fuse (the Centre for Translational Research in Public Health) scooped the Research for Local Health Needs Award for a meal made by people living with Severe Mental Illness (SMI).
Part of a year-long study to tackle food insecurity and improve access to quality food in Middlesbrough, Jenny’s Pasta was developed and made available in social supermarkets, with the aim to improve access to healthy, affordable food for adults living with SMI.
Dr Gilligan wins at RCPsych Awards
Dr Jennifer Gilligan, has been crowned Specialty Doctor / Associate Specialist of the Year at the RCPsych Awards. The Awards celebrate the innovative and inspiring work being done in psychiatry.
A specialty doctor with the York and Scarborough perinatal mental health team, Dr Gilligan was nominated for her work in improving the recognition of specialty, associate specialist and specialist (SAS) careers and supporting opportunities for SAS career progression both within our trust and nationally.
October
BBC Tees Awards shine spotlight on volunteer’s life-enhancing work
A massive congratulations to Kelly Conway, a volunteer service coordinator at the Trust and her therapy dog Ruby, for winning the BBC Tees Making a Difference Animal Award. The Award is given to an animal that improves the life of an individual or a group of people, or a person or group of people working with animals to improve animal welfare.
The Make a Difference Awards are held annually across the BBC and are a chance to say thank you and recognise those who love to make life better for others.
September
Peer worker recognised in Ruth Cranfield Awards
Congratulations to Stephen Harding, peer worker in the secure outreach team, health and justice services, Roseberry Park, Middlesbrough who was presented with a Certificate of Excellence at the North East Prison After Care Society (Nepacs) Ruth Cranfield Awards. He was awarded for using his own experience and insight in interpersonal skills as a previous patient to show real and inspirational understanding with patients and their families and supporting them to get the care they need.
Certificates of high commendation were also presented to other health and justice teams for the important work they do.
Health Service Journal Patient Safety Awards
The Humber and North Yorkshire Resilience Hub scooped top honours in the ‘Staff Wellbeing Initiative of the Year’ award. The Hub was set up as a partnership between our Trust, the NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, Navigo and City Health Care Partnership
June
The Learning Disabilities and Autism Awards
Sue Sargeant, advanced nurse practitioner and Claire Donnelly, primary care liaison nurse in the enhanced physical healthcare team, Teesside adult learning disability service were highly commended in the Learning Disability Nurse of the Year category for their work to stop the over medication of people (STOMP) with a learning disability, autism or both.
Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) Northern Awards
The awards recognise local achievements, hard work and commitment within the regional healthcare community. Congratulations to:
Emma Cruttenden, management accountant in the central financial management team who scooped an Unsung Hero Award for the contributions she has made. This included steering the central financial management team through a very challenging period of change, whilst supporting work to ensure delivery of monthly reporting across the Trust. Implementing structured timetables and weekly trackers to keep the team on track and balancing their workloads, as well as her own, to make sure deadlines were met and everything ran smoothly.
The finance team at Flatts Lane Centre in Middlesbrough won the Finance Team of the Year Award for their creativity, innovation, efficiency and quality of work whilst focussing on financial recovery to support the Trust and patient outcomes.
Drew Kendall, retired associate director of finance at the Trust, received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the event, in acknowledgement of his contribution to the work of the HFMA regionally and to promote mental health.
Cleveland Police Force Control Room Public Service Awards
Congratulations to the street triage team who were runners up in the Public Service category. Nominated by the police for partnership working, the team was commended for their partnership work in providing support to people in the community with mental health concerns, and for the support they provide for both police on the ground and in the control room.
Cavell Star Awards
Congratulations to Hayley Hawksby, a nurse consultant in our health and justice service who has been presented with a Cavell Star Nursing Award.
Cavell Star Awards are given to nurses, midwives, nursing associates and healthcare assistants across the UK, who show exceptional care to patients, patient families and their colleagues.
May
British Institute of Learning Disabilities (BILD)
Huge congratulations to Debbie Austin, a lived experience manager for learning disability and neurodiversity, who scooped the Outstanding Contribution to Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) award. Honoured for inspiring many people and making PBS accessible for everyone so they can understand what is needed to provide great support.
Teesside University: Student Nursing Associate Awards
Danielle Calvert from our enhancing physical health team scooped the Champion for Patient/Service User Care Award and Martin Young from our Hambleton and Richmondshire memory service walked away with the Outstanding Care and Compassion in Patient/Service User Care Award at Teesside University’s trainee nursing associate celebration event. The event highlights the hard work and positive contribution to the lives of people in our care by nursing associates.
Positive Practice in Mental Health Awards
The national awards celebrate the innovative and inspiring work being done across the country to make a difference to the lives of those experiencing mental ill health. In May 2024 the Trust were winners in five award categories and highly commended in another ten:
Winner
- Forensic Mental Health Services (including criminal justice, inpatient, liaison & diversion and prison mental healthcare) – Integrated Support Unit, HMP Durham
- Outstanding Leadership – Richard Hand
- All Age Eating disorders Services for Adults or Children and Young People – Teesside Children and Young People Community Eating Disorder Service
- Older adult functional mental health services and/or dementia care – County Durham and Darlington Care Home Liaison Hub
- Addressing mental health inequalities – The REACH team, Scarborough
Highly commended
- Innovation in Community Mental Health (including Primary Mental Health Care) – The REACH team – Scarborough
- Perinatal and Maternal Mental Health – North Yorkshire and York perinatal team
- Suicide Prevention Services with a focus on initiatives which encourage multiagency working (LA / PH / NHS / Police / Third sector) – Familiar Faces
- Outstanding Leadership Award – Karla Shariff
- Mental Wellbeing of the Workforce – Kestrel Kite ward
- Mental Wellbeing of the Workforce – Employee Support Service
- Innovation in Digital Mental Health Care – Recovery College Online
- Non-Clinical Team of the Year (inc. admin, facilities, finance, housekeeping etc) – Employee Support Service
- Complex mental health needs, including services working with people with a diagnosis of personality disorder – Wellbeing Unit: Regional Enhanced Mental Health Unit – HMP Hull
- Specialist Services (including, veterans, substance misuse, addictions, housing, education and employment) – Individual Placement and Support (IPS) team
April
Healthwatch South Tees STAR Awards
Sue Sargent, a clinical lead in our stopping the overmedication of people with a
learning disability, autism, or both (STOMP) team picked up the Excelling in support to others Award for her work supporting primary care pharmacists to undertake holistic medication reviews for those with a learning disability.
Skills for Health Awards
Our reconnect team, health and justice services at HMP Durham scooped a national award for their innovative work helping to prepare and support prisoners as they return to life in the community. The awards celebrate the wider healthcare workforce that supports NHS doctors and nurses on the frontline.
2023 awards
December
Harrogate crisis resolution and home treatment team receives national accreditation
Congratulations to the Harrogate crisis resolution and home treatment team at The Orchards Community Unit in Ripon. They have been accredited by the Royal College of Psychiatry Quality Network for Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Teams (QNCRHTT). The Quality Network aims to work with teams to assure and improve the quality of crisis resolution and home treatment services for people with acute mental illness and their carers.
September
HMP Holme House mental health team recognised in Ruth Cranfield Awards
Congratulations to our colleagues working with prisoners at HMP Holme House in Stockton who were presented with a Certificate of Excellence at the North East Prison After Care Society (Nepacs) Ruth Cranfield Awards. The team collected their certificates for showing good practice in rehabilitation for their work with the neurodevelopment pathway, training staff and reasonable adjustments for individuals.
July
Health Education England’s Durham and Tees Valley Training Programme
A training accolade has been presented to Girish Rao, an older people’s consultant liaison psychiatrist at Lanchester Road Hospital in Durham. The Health Education England’s Durham and Tees Valley Training Programme selected Girish as the winner of the Hospital Supervisor of the Year Award.
The regional education programme provides training for the current and future generations of GPs, supporting the educators and the wider GP community across the North East and Cumbria.
Governance Showcase winners – NHS Providers Governance Conference
Our Trust performance team were announced as Governance Showcase winners at the NHS Providers Governance Conference 2023 for our new integrated performance approach to quality and performance assurance and improvement.
The annual conference explores the role of boards and governance, and as part of the event, there is a Governance Showcase – an opportunity for NHS Trusts to submit case studies of good governance and share this at the exhibition.
June
Hull York Medical School Teaching Excellence Awards
Dynamic Duo, Dora Katalenac Zovko, a speciality doctor in Harrogate and Polly Snelling, a physician associate in York scooped two awards in the Hull York Medical School Teaching Excellence Awards.
The student-led awards had over 100 nominations and they provide an opportunity for students to acknowledge those who have inspired, supported, gone the extra mile to support them in their studies and who have had a positive impact on their lives and education.
Dora won the Medicine Phase II & III Tutor of Excellence Award and Polly won the Physician Associate Tutor of Excellence Award.
Better Health at Work Awards
Our NHS Durham and Darlington Talking Therapies, (previously Talking Changes) received the Silver Standard in April 2022. After ‘stepping up’ their motivation, they have now been awarded the Gold Standard.
Not only that, our Trust health and wellbeing team has also been presented with the Bronze Standard for Trustwide health campaigns so all of our staff can work on and improve their health and wellbeing.
April
Hospitality Assured Award
Congratulations to the Trust’s hotel services department who have achieved World Class status within the Hospitality Assured Business Excellence Accreditation for providing vital services including cleaning, catering, portering and reception management across the TEWV region.
2022 awards
December
Cavell Star Awards
Congratulations to Suzanne Spence, a healthcare assistant in the learning disability service at the Eastfield Clinic in Scarborough who has been presented with a Cavell Star Nursing Award for exceptional care to her colleagues.
Cavell Star Awards are given to nurses, midwives, nursing associates and healthcare assistants across the UK, who show exceptional care to patients, patient families and their colleagues.
October
Nursing Times Awards 2022
Jude Rose, a community nurse and psychological parenting therapist from Acklam Road Hospital in Middlesbrough won the Nurse Leader of the Year Award at the prestigious Nursing Times Awards. Nominated for her commitment to providing patient/carer-centred care and for supporting and developing staff.
Positive Practice in Mental Health Awards 2022
The national awards celebrate the innovative and inspiring work being done across the country to make a difference to the lives of those experiencing mental ill health. In October 2022 the Trust were winners in four award categories and highly commended in another two.
Our Trustwide voluntary services team were hailed the Non-Clinical Team of the Year for being dedicated in recruiting, training, inducting and supporting volunteers to not only help and supported services and teams across the Trust but to build volunteers’ skills and experience.
Our recovery and outcomes support team at Ridgeway in Roseberry Park, Middlesbrough were honoured in the Mental Health Rehab and/or Recovery category for their improvements to increase events and resources in the Recovery College, bringing back a community feel.
Tom Hurst, general manager for the urgent care services in Durham and Tees Valley and who looks after the care delivery of the crisis, acute hospital liaison and acute inpatient services scooped the Outstanding Leadership category.
Our forensic services were recognised in the Forensic Mental Health Services (including Criminal Justice and Prisons) category for co-creating a Ridgeway recipe cookbook with dieticians, patients and colleagues. It included a list of healthy meals, tips and suggestions along with the ingredients and utensils need for cooking each dish to encourage patients to try cooking.
Our Primrose service at HMP and Youth Offenders Institution at Low Newton in Stockton-on-Tees were highly commended in the Complex Needs category for working in an individualised way with women in custody with personality difficulties, where there is a link between their risk and personality difficulty.
Our Trustwide employee support service was also highly commended in the Mental Well-being of Workforce category for supporting staff on a wide range of issues, so they can keep working and continue to make positive and lasting contributions whilst facing pressures and ever-increasing demands.
September
Psychologically informed planned environment (PIPE) team recognised in Ruth Cranfield Awards
Congratulations to our PIPE team at HMP and Young Offender Institution (YOI) Low Newton who scooped the Certificate of Excellence at the North East Prison After Care Society (Nepacs) Ruth Cranfield Awards. The team was nominated for creating and building positive, trusting relationships and dedication to support residents to be the best they can be while maintaining a psychologically informed environment during challenges of the pandemic.
Northumbria in Bloom
Our gardening team were presented with a ‘horticultural Oscar’ at the Northumbria in Bloom Awards ceremony. Lanchester Road Hospital in Durham received a GOLD Award for the Best Grounds of a Hospital, University or Public Building.
BBC Tees Making a Difference Award
Stephanie Addison, a recovery and outcomes engagement facilitator at Roseberry Park in Middlesbrough scooped the ‘Together’ award in the BBC Radio Tees ‘Making a Difference Awards’. The award recognises those that create real change by breaking down barriers and bringing together people from different walks of life for a common cause.
Cavell Star Award
Congratulations to Laura Elliott a child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) clinician from Hartlepool who has been presented with a Cavell Star Nursing Award for exceptional patient care. Nominated for going above and beyond for the young people she works with.
Cavell Star Awards are given to nurses, midwives, nursing associates and healthcare assistants across the UK, who show exceptional care to patients, patient families and their colleagues.
Hart Gables LGBTQ+ Alliance Awards
Roseberry Park in Middlesbrough was recognised in the Positive Impact on LGBT Health Award for promoting health and wellbeing within LGBTQ+ communities, with a focus on mental health, physical health and/or sexual health. Hart Gables celebrates diversity ensuring the Tees Valley is a place where LGBTQ+ members of society feel valued, have equal rights and are empowered to reach their optimum potential.
July
HMP Durham team awarded at Ruth Cranfield Awards
Congratulations to our Integrated Support Unit at HMP Durham, who will be presented with a Certificate of Excellence at the Ruth Cranfield Awards in September. The team was nominated for always prioritising their patients, being caring, respectful and compassionate. They have continued to go above and beyond for the patients on the unit, including supporting a patient with their release plan from custody into the community, despite the challenges of Covid-19.
Hospitality Assured Award
Our Trustwide hotel services were presented with a one-off Premier accreditation Hospitality Assured Award for service resilience during Covid-19. The award was to say a massive thank you and to recognise amazing achievements and the tenacious dedication given to patients, families, carers and staff.
British Institute of Learning disabilities (BILD) Awards
Steven Wilson, behavioural practitioner scooped the Positive Behavioural Support Coach of the Year Award at the Bild’s International Positive Behaviour Support Conference 2022.
May
Excellence in Forensic Psychology Practice award
Alison Hodgson, a consultant forensic psychologist from our Primrose Service in HMP/YOI Low Newton in Durham, has been awarded the 2022 British Psychological Society’s Division of Forensic Psychology ‘Excellence in Forensic Psychology Practice Award’. The award is a peer-reviewed acknowledgement of her leadership, practice, contribution and development within the field and her distinguished contribution to applied psychology practice. Alison will be presented with the award at the Division of Forensic Psychology annual conference in 14 June.
We Are the NHS People
Michelle Lockwood, an apprentice quality manager was a competition winner at the NHS England International HR Day and she will now attend the Healthcare People Management Association Awards in September.
April
Better Health at Work Awards
Our Talking Changes improving access to psychological therapies (IAPT) service in Durham and Darlington has been awarded for its commitment to promoting a healthy lifestyle to its employees. They received the Silver Standard for getting involved in health and wellbeing initiatives.
Healthwatch South Tees STAR Awards
Our Tees Valley community mental health transformation team have picked up the Leading the Way for Change Award at the Healthwatch South Tees STAR Awards. Awarded for their work to progress and realign community mental health teams alongside primary and voluntary sector care to make sure individuals that need help don’t fall between different services.
2021 awards
November
Building Better Healthcare Awards
Foss Park, a state of the art 72-bed mental health hospital and research space in York, built in partnership with P+HS Architects won two awards at the Building Better Healthcare Awards. The hospital scooped the 2020 winner in the ‘Best Interior Design’ and highly commended in the 2021 ‘Best Healthcare Development over £10m’ categories. The Awards recognise excellence in healthcare architecture, innovation, interior design and product innovation.
Bright ideas for Trust innovator
Dr Mani Santhana Krishnan, consultant in old age psychiatry/liaison psychiatry and senior clinical director for mental health services for older people has been honoured with the Innovation Champion Award at the Bright Ideas in Health Awards 2021.
Electro-convulsive therapy service receives national accreditation
The Electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) team at the Ryedale Suite, Older people’s service, Roseberry Park in Teesside has achieved the highest level of accreditation by the Royal College of Psychiatrists with commendations in all four areas of patient experience, documentation, training and research and monitoring and follow-up.
October
Positive Practice in Mental Health Awards 2021
These national awards celebrate the innovative and inspiring work being done across the country to make a difference to the lives of those experiencing mental ill health. In October 2021 the Trust received two awards.
Our crisis and assessment suite at Roseberry Park in Middlesbrough was highly commended in the all age crisis and acute mental health care category and recognised for helping to improve the overall experience of mental health patients in crisis and reducing the demand on A&E departments locally.
The Westerdale north inpatient team, older people’s service at Sandwell Park in Hartlepool was highly commended in the addressing inequalities in mental health category.
September
Patient Experience Network National Awards (PENNA) 2021
Michael Curtis, trainee advanced clinical practitioner in our older people’s service in Easington, County Durham and the Dementia Friendly Village Project are winners of the Patient Experience Network National Awards (PENNA) 2021 in the Transformer of Tomorrow category. PENNA recognise best practice in patient experience across all facets of health and social care in the UK. The project started out as a dementia hub to engage with primary care colleagues and the local community and has evolved into a dementia friendly village so that people with dementia are understood, respected and supported in the area they live.
NEPACS Ruth Cranfield Award 2021
The speech and language therapy team in our health and justice services, led by Tracey Forster, will receive a Ruth Cranfield Award at the NEPACS annual awards ceremony in September. Each year NEPACS makes a number of awards to prison staff, probation staff, voluntary sector and other professionals to highlight the work of exceptional individuals or innovative good practice in promoting rehabilitation of offenders.
National accreditation programmes
Th Hambleton and Richmondshire memory team has been accredited at providing an excellent service by the Royal College of Psychiatrists Electroconvulsive Therapy Accreditation Service. This is the fourth consecutive time the service has been accredited since it was awarded the first accreditation in 2012. The team offers a service to people who are concerned about their memory and cognition and who have been referred by their GP.
The Positive Approaches Training focuses on the prevention and alternative methods of managing violent or aggressive behaviour and achieved accreditation by the Restraint Reduction Network in March 2021. We are among a handful of NHS Foundation Trusts that have this accreditation. The subjects included in the newly-accredited training programme include positive behaviour support, verbal de-escalation and post-incident support.
2020 awards
November
Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) Awards
The RCPysch Awards celebrate the innovative and inspiring work being done in psychiatry.
Redcar and Cleveland community affective disorders team were crowned team of the year in the working-age adults category for developing a new pathway for patients with autistic spectrum disorder.
February
One Awards
Occupational therapy staff at Ridgeway low/medium secure mental health inpatient hospital in Middlesbrough were recognised for their commitment to helping people with serious mental illness access education and training from the national not for profit organisation.
Society for dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT)
Pauline McAvoy, clinical psychologist and DBT lead for York and Selby has been awarded her Accreditation as a DBT therapist from the Society for DBT. This makes Pauline the first accredited DBT therapist in the Trust.
2019 awards
December
Royal College of Psychiatry, Duncan Macmillan Award
Sundar Gnanavel a senior registrar at North End House in Durham scooped the prestigious Royal College of Psychiatry, Duncan Macmillan Award, for his essay on The next big thing in psychiatry research. The prize celebrates and promotes the work of psychiatry trainees nationwide.
November
Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) Northern Awards
The awards recognise local achievements, hard work and commitment within the regional healthcare community.
Arran Scott, senior accountancy assistant, Flatts Lane Centre, Middlesbrough won the Student of the Year category for his hard work, positive attitude and innovative approach to challenging systems and processes.
Louise Ferguson, assistant locality accountant, Flatts Lane Centre, Middlesbrough was shortlisted in the Technician of the Year category and went on to win the Chairman’s Award.
Chief Nursing and Chief Midwifery Officer’s Silver Award
John Savage, head of nursing for Durham and Darlington, is one of the first people in the country to receive the Chief Nursing and Chief Midwifery Officer Silver Award for helping people to live the life they want to live.
Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) Awards
The RCPysch Awards mark the highest level of achievement in psychiatry.
Jim Boylan, director of medical education, Roseberry Park, Middlesbrough received the award for Psychiatric Educator of the Year category.
John Venable, was presented with the Service User / Patient Contributor of the Year award.
North Tees adult learning disability team, Wessex House, Stockton was hailed Team of the Year in the Intellectual Disability category of the awards for effectively using lean methodology to provide high quality services with reduced resources.
Positive Practice in Mental Health Awards
Our talking therapies service in County Durham were highly commended in the improving access to psychological therapies category of the recent Positive Practice in Mental Health Awards. Talking Changes innovative pathway of care, helping students to access timely support for conditions including anxiety and depression, was recognised for its trailblazing work with local schools, colleges and universities.
October
Nursing Times Awards
Our Cleveland liaison and diversion team won the Mental Health Nursing Award category. The team, based at Cleveland Police’s Middlehaven station, offers assessment and advice to people who come into contact with the criminal justice system as suspects, defendants or offenders and who have mental ill health, learning disabilities or other vulnerabilities.
September
The NEPACS Ruth Cranfield Good Practice Awards for Rehabilitation
The mental health team, HMP Holme House, Stockton were recognised for their exceptional work and innovative good practice. The awards aim to maintain a focus on rehabilitation within the criminal justice system and to ensure that good practice and ideas are broadcast as widely as possible so that they can be replicated elsewhere.
August
Cavell Star Awards
Adult learning disability team, Flatts Lane Centre, Middlesbrough was awarded a Cavell Star Award for shining bright and showing exceptional care.
July
NHS England – Chief Allied Health Professions (AHP) Officer Awards
Jo-Anne Smith, professional head of dietetic services has scooped the AHP Public Health Champion category. The awards celebrate the contribution AHPs have made in supporting improvements in health, care and wellbeing.
Positive Practice – National Older People’s Mental Health (OPMH) and Dementia Awards
Corinne Walsh (retired), project lead for the North Tees dementia collaborative in Stockton walked away with the OPMH/Dementia Individual Staff of the Year Award.
June
British Psychological Society Division of Forensic Psychology
Claire Bainbridge, locality lead psychologist for TEWV health and justice service scooped the 2019 Excellence in Forensic Psychology Practice Award. The national award celebrates excellence in forensic psychology practice, recognising success and evidenced based practice with high visibility and impact. It is a reflection of her work in the field of forensic psychology and recognition of this achievement by other members of the discipline.
Durham and Tees Valley GP Training Programme
Venkatraghavan Ramaswamy, consultant psychiatrist and associate clinical director, North End House, Durham was honoured with the clinical supervisor (hospital specialist) of the year award.
March
National Autistic Society’s Autism Professionals Award
The autism project team won the Outstanding Health Services Award. The awards recognise people, services and schools across the UK who are making a difference to autistic people and their families. The award was presented in recognition of the work they are doing to ensure that there is a clear pathway to diagnosis across the Trust, that all staff are trained in autism awareness, and that reasonable adjustments to treatment pathways are available.
January
Cavell Star Awards
The Cavell Star Awards are given to nurses, midwifes and health care assistants who shine bright and show exceptional care to either their patients, patients’ families or colleagues.
Sarah Waite, nurse, memory clinic, Friarage Hospital, Northallerton for shining bright and showing exceptional care to her patients.
Linda Schumacher, team manager, mental health services for older people, Acomb Health Centre and Worsley Court, York and Selby for showing exceptional care to her patients and staff.
