Team Leader of the Year, Adult Services 2022

Lucy Hunt is a team manager who doesn’t shy away from a challenge. At a time when the learning and physical disabilities locality team she heads up was experiencing a 30% increase in safeguarding activity, a 40% combined waiting list increase, and a 20% staff vacancy rate, Lucy still found the time and inspiration to develop a new model of practice.

The Crisis and Review model uses a path approach to person-centred planning and aims to reduce waiting list times and numbers, increase reviews, develop service user participation and promote staff wellbeing. It’s been in place for six months and already the team are on target to complete 73% of reviews for adults aged 18 to 65, have reduced the waiting list by 82%, and achieved a saving of £90,000 for the local authority.

Lucy is also ensuring that other areas of the service can benefit from this new approach to practice, by developing it for use with different client groups and offering peer sessions to other team managers. The model has piqued the interest of students and newly qualified staff too, with many approaching Lucy with a request to join her team.

Valued by colleagues for her commitment to human rights, coaching and organisational skills, and ability to bring out the best in practitioners, Lucy is an inspirational leader.

Supported by Suffolk County Council.