Nine months of hard work and collaboration have finally paid off for NHS staff when they were recently awarded the Full Monty award from Star Wards.
All the staff are from five wards that make up Bamburgh Clinic and Bede ward at Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Trust (NTW), a provider of mental health and learning disability services.
Star Wards, a project of the social justice charity Bright, provides practical ideas and inspiring examples from and for mental health ward staff.
To achieve the Full Monty award, the wards had to demonstrate that they had put in place all 75 Star Wards ideas including helping patients to enhance their own management of symptoms and treatment whilst helping patients retain and build on their community ties.
Nic Hyman, Star Wards said: “It was a full yet seamless and dynamic day. I was blown away by your team’s creativity, ingenuity and passion for person-centred care.
“It’s one thing talking about it and another thing living it and the wards clearly do. Presenting five awards to five amazing teams in one day will always be a highlight for me. NTW truly are a Star Wards flagship and each staff member a champion of therapeutic practice. Congratulations.”
One initiative, put forward and run by patients, is a Café Cart which goes from Bamburgh Clinic to Bede ward and includes items such as toiletries, giving patients some independence in buying what they need. The Café is also ran by patients from the wards.
This is a fantastic achievement by the staff and patients on the wards. All of the teams embraced the journey of achieving the award, working with our service users and carers to support this through co-production.
Helen GoudieClinical Nurse Manger MH, Secure Care Services