Team Leader of the Year, Adult Services

Kirsty, first as a team manager and then as group manager for learning disabilities and older people’s mental health, has had a transformational impact on adult services in Calderdale.

Under her leadership the council has seen the lowest ever number of adults with learning disabilities and older people with mental health support needs living in care homes. The latter team used to place nine people per quarter into care homes, which dropped to one or two once she was in post – and most recently no placements have been made.

Such statistics stem from Kirsty’s relentless human rights focus. Social workers in her teams are expected to enable risk and work to promote positive life choices. Within those teams, there’s a policy of employing NQSWs and supporting their development – the palliative care service she set up, for example, was built around a team of four NQSWs.

But Kirsty’s nomination as a “quiet radical” was also founded on her commitment to integration in its broadest sense – with the NHS, the voluntary sector, family and carer groups and advocacy providers. In the near future, her teams will be based in a shop in Halifax, run jointly with people who use their services.