22 November 2024

West London NHS Trust and CNWL have been awarded a Health Service Journal (HSJ) Award for transforming mental healthcare for children in North West London.

The Trusts, which jointly lead the North West London (NWL) CAMHS Provider Collaborative, were named Provider Collaborative of the Year at last night’s awards ceremony.

The award celebrates the successful collaboration between organisations, delivering greater efficiency and developing person-centred services.

Established in 2020, the NWL CAMHS Specialised Commissioning Provider Collaborative was designed to transform mental health services for children and young people in the region.

Clinically-led and partnership-driven, the collaborative focuses on achieving the best possible outcomes for young people and their families. Its primary aim is to provide care in the least restrictive settings, bringing services closer to home through innovative community support. This approach addresses a longstanding challenge of having one of the lowest numbers of CAMHS beds in the country.

Before the collaborative was launched, many children had to be sent to services outside the area, often resulting in lengthy admissions and poorer outcomes.

Vanessa Odlin, Managing Director of CAMHS and Eating Disorders at CNWL, said:

“We are incredibly proud to have won the HSJ Award with West London NHS Trust. This recognition reflects our unwavering belief that young people and experts by experience must be at the core of everything we do.

"Their voices shape our services, their insights drive meaningful change, and their lived experiences ensure we deliver care that is both compassionate and effective. This collaboration is proof of what we can achieve when we truly listen to and partner with those we serve.”

Paul Stefanoski, Deputy Chief Executive of West London NHS Trust, said:

"As Chair of the CAMHS Provider Collaborative, it has been an absolute pleasure to bring together staff from across NHS and third-sector organisations, all committed to improving services for young people, their families, and carers in North West London. The dedication, engagement, and enthusiasm have been truly inspiring.

"Over the past six years, we have achieved significant, sustainable improvements across the region. Together, we’ve made a lasting impact, and I am confident our collective efforts will continue to benefit the community for years to come. The HSJ Award is well-deserved recognition of this work – congratulations to everyone involved!"

Johan Redelinghuys, Clinical Director of CAMHS at West London NHS Trust, said:

“The team have worked over the last few years to bring together a range of partners across health, mental health, social care and the voluntary sector to deliver better mental health care for children and young people.

“The award celebrates and recognises the work that has been done and will help us to bring this to new audiences where we hope to continue to effect positive change at an even larger scale.”

To find out more about the NWL CAMHS Provider Collaborative, click here.