Kent mental health hospital team celebrates national award win

A team at a Kent-based mental health hospital is celebrating after being named Mental Health Team of the Year at a national awards ceremony.

The Castle Ward team at Cygnet Hospital Godden Green, near Sevenoaks, received the accolade at the Cygnet Annual Psychiatrists Conference and National Awards 2025.

Castle Ward is a 13-bed Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) which provides specialist mental health care for women. The team was recognised for its outstanding dedication to patient care, innovation, and the education of others working in mental health.

Since increasing bed capacity in 2024, Castle Ward has successfully admitted 563 patients, achieving safe and therapeutic discharges. The ward also achieved QNPICU Accreditation in March 2025, highlighting its commitment to national standards in PICU care.

The judges praised the team’s ability to foster collaboration between patients, carers, and clinical teams, with a strong focus on family involvement to reduce inequalities often experienced in intensive mental health settings.

The ward has also launched several innovative projects, including:

• Direct discharges from PICU to support smoother transitions back to the community.

• The Green Finger Project, a therapeutic gardening initiative to enhance patient well-being.

• The “Deer Pathway”, an innovative animal-assisted therapy approach which has reduced seclusion and restraint, and significantly improved safety for both patients and staff.

The award was presented by Stephen Firn, CEO of Cygnet Health Care’s division, who praised the ward’s achievements. He said: “Castle Ward at Cygnet Hospital Godden Green has showcased outstanding dedication over the past year. Their innovation, patient-centred culture, and focus on safety make them truly deserving winners of the Mental Health Team of the Year award.

“What makes Castle Ward so special is their ability to combine clinical excellence with real compassion and creativity. From pioneering projects to their unwavering commitment to safe, therapeutic care, they have set a new benchmark for what outstanding PICU provision should look like. I could not be more proud of what they have achieved.”

Ward Manager Festus Oduntan said the team was thrilled with the recognition: “We are deeply honoured and humbled to receive this award. It reflects the unity, dedication and commitment of our leaders and members who have worked tirelessly toward the growth and progress of our ward. While we take pride in this achievement, we also accept it with humility, mindful of the responsibility it places upon us to continue serving with integrity, compassion and determination.”

The award was presented as part of Cygnet’s annual conference, which this year focused on “Beyond risk: advancing suicide prevention through partnership and practice.”

Dr Tony Romero, CEO of Cygnet, said: “These awards are a testament to the achievements of our dedicated doctors and their teams. Their compassionate, motivated approach makes a profound difference in the lives of the people we support, and Castle Ward is an excellent example of that.”

Dr Jon Van Niekerk, Group Clinical Director, added: “The awards are a powerful reminder of what our values look like in practice. Each winner represents the very best of our organisation – colleagues who embody compassion, creativity and resilience every day.”