AN NHS mental health team that provides support for vulnerable people has won a national award for their quality of care.

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust’s (CWP) Mental Health Intensive Support Team (MHIST) provides rehabilitation services for people with complex needs. The specialised team specifically support people with their transition from hospital to living back at home in their own communities.

The team has since been named Team of the Year during the annual Royal College of Psychiatry (RCPsych) awards which were held in London.

Jo Watts, associate director of operations for specialist mental health said: “On behalf of the Trust I would like to congratulate the team on their success. This is the culmination of all of the fabulous work that the team do to support people to live their lives in the least restrictive environment.

“This supports better outcomes and most importantly, a better quality of life for people accessing the service.

“I’m delighted to celebrate with the team for all of their hard work and the well-deserved accolades they have received. I just want to say a huge thank you to them all for their contribution to helping people within our community.”

The team are made up of a range different health professionals including psychiatrists, mental health nurses and occupational therapists, among others.

The latest award followed on from them picking up Team of the Year at the Patient Engagement Network National Awards (PENNA) in October.

Louise Gill, head of clinical service complex care, added: “I’m really proud to lead the MHIST team, it’s great to see such positive outcomes, great team work and lots of collaborative working.

“We always try to share our expertise with others and it is really great to see the team acknowledged in this way for all of their hard work and support they provide to vulnerable people.”