Insurance Corporation Healthcare Bursary winner announced

Wednesday 03 November 2010

Cognitive behavioural psychotherapists Carol Vivyan and Michelle Ayres have won this year’s Insurance Corporation Healthcare Bursary. The £3,000 top prize will go towards funding their proposal to develop ‘The Decider’, which is currently used as a tool for adult mental health therapies.

‘The Decider’ (based on a more creative approach to therapy, including the use of music and visuals that prompt a positive change in behaviour) is of great use for dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT), which is used to treat adults with borderline personality disorder. The bursary would be used to develop The Decider further into a training manual that could be used by other clinicians making DBT more accessible to clients.

Insurance Corporation chairman Peter Walpole said: ‘The winning entry is not an area of mental health that the majority islanders would be familiar with but it is an important tool for therapists and one that sees great results. It is wonderful to be able to support a project like this that will have real benefits to the mental health service.

‘At a time of budget constraints across government departments it is all the more admirable that this year saw a jump in the number of entries from healthcare professionals willing to go the extra mile to improve services across the department.’

HSSD chief officer Mark Cooke, who was on the judging panel with Viv Roussel of Insurance Corporation, Institute of Health and Social Care Studies senior manager, Anita Gaudion, and HR manager Lynne Duckworth, said he was delighted with the standard of entries.

‘Selecting a winner was from the short-listed four was very difficult. The great thing about the bursary is that even if the entrants do not win the prize fund, they have highlighted areas of efficiencies and new practices that might not otherwise have come to light. We are then able to do what we can to assist them in introducing their ideas where it is felt to be of value to the provision of the healthcare service.’

Carole and Michelle received their trophy at a special lunch in the presence of the Bailiff Sir Geoffrey Rowland and members of HSSD including former bursary recipients. Last year’s winners, Rachel Copeland and Debbie Pittman, also presented the findings of their proposal to develop a programme of intensive home visits for vulnerable first-time mothers at the winner’s ceremony.

The other short listed entries were as follows:

Creation and research into a resource pack for young people with an eating disorder.
Dietician Liz Ruddy and clinical nurse practitioner Anne Farrelly

Through research with UK units it is hoped to create a resource pack that can be used alongside a new service being developed for young people with eating disorders.

Aquanatal classes for pregnant women and new mums
Midwife Jill Robertson

To commence exercise classes for pregnant women and incorporate healthy lifestyle education. The initial aim would be to run aquanatal classes for ante and post natal women, then progress to offering pilates/abdominal fitness classes. The bursary would be used to provide training, materials and for pool hire.

An occupational therapy focus to support independent living across the island
Occupational therapists Amanda Knowles, Alice Flower and Edward Lewis.

To demonstrate gaps in current service provision and trial a potential solution that will be cost effective. This will essentially involve the training of support workers who will help people from all areas of society remain independent in their homes for as long as possible.