Older people’s services in Kirklees accredited with excellence for the 2nd time

Older people’s mental health services in Kirklees have been recognised as continuing to provide excellent services to local people at a special event in Huddersfield.

The services are provided by South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. The Trust is the local provider of specialist NHS mental health and learning disability services to people in Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield.

The special event on Tuesday 19th October was held to recognise the services’ achievement in gaining stage 2 accreditation as a practice development unit. This means they provide services that meet individual needs, help people feel involved and empowered and continually improve patient experience. The award builds on the services’ achievement in 2009 when they were awarded stage 1 accreditation.

Stage 2 accreditation is recognition that the service has reached a very high standard. Teams in the Trust’s older people’s services are now working towards sustaining this high standard and continuing to improve the service they provide.

Suzanne Wightman, senior manager for practice development in Kirklees older people’s services said, "The community teams have worked very hard to achieve this standard of excellent practice and we are working to ensure that it is delivered consistently to everyone in the Kirklees area who accesses our service."

Alex Farrell, the Trust’s acting chief executive said, "We are delighted that the Kirklees older people’s services have been awarded full accreditation. The special event on Tuesday was an opportunity to recognise and congratulate staff in the service for their hard work. Being a practice development unit raises standards and ensures that we are delivering the very best for local people using our services and their carers."