'Hard work, dedication, talent and the willingness to go the extra mile' were honoured at South West London and St George’s Mental Health Trust’s (SWLSTG) annual Quality Awards on April 10th.

The ceremony, held at Wandsworth Civic Suite and hosted by comedian and GP Dr Phil Hammond, saw a series of awards presented to individuals and teams who had produced excellent work during the course of the year.

David Bradley, SWLSTG Chief Executive, said: “It was a truly inspiring evening. I am proud of the excellent work done by all of our staff, but the Quality Awards are our opportunity to highlight those individuals and teams who have done something extra.”

The Lifetime Achievement Award was shared this year by Associate Director of Psychology and Psychotherapy Jane Street and Domestic Assistant, Elfreda Williams.

Jane joined the Trust in 1992 and has held a number of roles in the past 20 years, but whatever she has been doing colleagues agree that "she always puts service users at the heart of her work and is unfailingly generous with her time and energy".

Elfreda, known to one and all as Freda, joined in 1985 and has seen a number of changes over the years, but "she has always taken real pride in providing an excellent service and her friendly smile is appreciated by colleagues and service users alike".

The Trust’s focus on service users’ recovery and help with finding or retaining work was demonstrated by the special award for Stephen Charlery and Melissa Oshinowo of the Wandsworth Employment Team.

Other winners on the night included: Team of the Year: Twickenham Community Mental Health TeamPartnership Award: Wandsworth Access Child and Youth ServiceChairman’s Award: Dave Coughlan, Recovery CollegeVolunteer Award: Focus 4-1Co-Production Award: Exercise Therapy TeamLeadership Award: Collen BaffanaInnovation Award: Virtual Risk TeamNurse of the Year: Ruth Forrest

April 18, 2014