Our Tees Crisis Triage and Assessment Hub has been announced as the winner of the prestigious 2025 Seni Lewis Award at an event hosted by the Royal College of Psychiatrists this week (16 December).
The award-winning project showcases the partnership between our Trust and Cleveland Police, which has transformed services, reduced repeated use of emergency services, and enabled people in crisis to be seen by specialists when time is most critical.
The Seni Lewis Award was created as a lasting legacy in honour of Olaseni ‘Seni’ Lewis, who tragically died in 2010 after being held in prolonged restraint.
The Award recognises exceptional work that strengthens co-operation between mental health services and the police, helping to prevent future tragedies and ensure care is delivered with dignity and respect.
The Seni Lewis Award is a partnership between Seni Lewis’ family, the Metropolitan Police and South London and Maudsley Foundation Trust, and was this year hosted by the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Dr Wolfgang Kuster, consultant psychiatrist at our Tees Crisis Triage and Assessment Hub, said: “Thank you so much to Seni Lewis’ family, and for the College who welcomed us today, it is a true honour to win this award.
“Thank you also to the team – we have been through many changes and have seen how much services have changed. Just ten years ago, we were a team of nurses, now we are nurses, psychiatrists, occupational therapists, psychologists, support workers, peer support workers and we have a new health inequality worker – it’s unrecognisable.
“This means we’re now able to work with more people, reaching further communities and excluded groups across our region.”
Dr Lade Smith CBE, President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said: “We are delighted to present this award to The Tees Crisis Triage and Assessment Hub, a project that truly stands on the shoulders of giants in community health work.
“They’ve continuously recognised population need, listening to patients to ensure their services improve year-on-year. Important services like this are supported by good strategic commissioning, because they are tried and tested and have achieved positive outcomes.”
