St Andrew's nursing team wins prestigious Cavell Star Award

One of our nursing teams at St Andrew’s Healthcare has been awarded a prestigious Cavell Star Award, recognising the extraordinary compassion, dedication and life-changing care they have provided to patients.

The nomination was submitted by colleagues Emily Fox, Victoria Taylor and recently discharged patient Sally, who praised the team's unwavering commitment to supporting some of the most complex patients in mental healthcare.

Established in 1998, the Silverstone service became a nationally recognised centre of excellence in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), helping hundreds of people rebuild their lives and return to their communities.

Director of Psychological Therapies, Dr Emily Fox, said: “This is undoubtedly the best team I have ever worked with in my 23-year career. Through decades of growth, innovation and achievement, together, we have supported hundreds of individuals, saving lives and offering hope where it has often been lost elsewhere.

“The team’s strength lies in how they work together; embracing difference, challenging one another constructively, and remaining united by a shared purpose. They have consistently embodied the principles of DBT, not only in their clinical work but in how they support each other; creating safety, holding boundaries, and enabling meaningful, lasting change.”

The Cavell Star Award celebrates healthcare professionals who demonstrate exceptional care and support to patients and colleagues. The Silverstone team was recognised, not only for its clinical expertise, but also for the compassion and belief in recovery that has transformed countless lives.

Dr Victoria Taylor, who was the DBT lead on the ward, said: “The Silverstone team is the most amazing group of caring people I have ever worked with. They have inspired me daily since I joined them in 2016 by their compassion, commitment and support for both patients and one another.

“That compassion is perhaps best illustrated through the voices of the patients themselves and there have been many, many recovery stories.”

One of those stories is Sally’s. After spending several years in inpatient care and being referred to St Andrew’s because other services had been unable to meet her needs, she credits the Silverstone team with helping her achieve recovery and return to community living.

Sally said: “When I first arrived, I required 24/7 support and had been unable to find effective help elsewhere. Through nearly five years of consistent, compassionate and highly skilled DBT care, I have now been discharged into the community.

“I didn’t know how I was going to get better. But the staff didn’t give up on me. When I couldn’t have hope for myself, they held that hope for me.”

The nomination highlighted Silverstone’s exceptional outcomes, supporting people with some of the most challenging and complex needs to move successfully back into the community, often in circumstances that had once seemed impossible.

The service also achieved accreditation from the Society for DBT UK and Ireland, contributed to research, presented at conferences and supported the development of specialist services across the country.

The Cavell Star Award recognises the lasting legacy of a team whose expertise, compassion and commitment have had a profound impact on patients, families and colleagues alike.

Despite the service having recently closed, the award stands as a fitting tribute to the remarkable difference its staff have made over the past 27 years.