NHS partnership working to support young offenders wins national award

The work of two NHS trusts to provide support to vulnerable young people in a young offenders’ institute has won a national Nursing Times award.

Our Trust and Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust secured the win in the Child and Adolescent Services category for providing a physical and mental health service in Wetherby Young Offenders’ Institute. The organisations worked together to transform services to make sure that young people in custody received the best possible healthcare.

Now in their 27th year, the Nursing Times Awards offer recognition for the innovative and excellent care that nurses at all levels provide across the UK.

Dr Abdullah Kraam, forensic consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist at our Trust said: “We put in place a transformation programme in order to help a complex, very vulnerable group of young people with a high degree of serious mental health problems including high rates of severe harm and a high risk of suicide. This progress was only possible because of collaborative and partnership work across NHS organisations.

“I’m very pleased that we were successful in winning the award as our work has gone a long way to support these young people.”

The winners were announced at a ceremony in London on 2 November.