Publish date: 28 September 2022

The Trust is pleased to announce that its Forensic Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (FCAMHS) has been shortlisted for a Royal College of Psychiatry Award.

The North West London FCAMHS team has been shortlisted in the Psychiatric Team of the Year: Children and Adolescents category.

They were nominated by Dr Catherine Penny, Clinical Director of West London Forensic Services, and will be attending the Awards ceremony on Wednesday 9 November.

The award recognises teams that play a pivotal role in improving or innovating psychiatric services and care for children and adolescents.

The West London FCAMHS team was created in late 2018 and works with high risk young people.

Specifically, the team works with young people who have emotional or mental health/neurodevelopmental needs and have shown risk behaviours or been involved with the youth justice system.

The team accepts referrals from all agencies working in the eight London boroughs.

Aiming to respond within a working day of a referral, the team is one of 13 FCAMHS teams working across the country.

According to the national commissioners of the service, the team receives a high number of referrals compared to others nationwide and feedback is excellent, with many thanks and compliments received by the team.

Dr Heidi Hales, Consultant Adolescent Forensic Psychiatrist, said: "The team are delighted to have received recognition and acknowledgement of their work, raising the awareness of the needs for this cohort of young people and professionals working with them."

Dr Derek Tracy, Medical Director of West London NHS Trust, said: "The RCPsych national awards are the pinnacle and highlight of best practice in UK psychiatry.

"Competition is always very tough in every category. Making it to the shortlist, as FCAMHS have done, is a huge honour of itself.

"I'll be there with them at the ceremony in November cheering them on, fingers crossed for the award itself!"