Professional practice awards

Anne Cooke, Clinical Director of the clinical psychology programme at Canterbury Christ Church University, is to receive the British Psychological Society's Practitioner of the Year Award 2017. The award recognises in particular her public-facing work to make available good-quality information about mental health. Most recently she edited the Society's major public information report Understanding Psychosis and Schizophrenia, leading a group of eminent contributors drawn from eight universities and six NHS trusts, together with people who had experienced psychosis. The document is used in countries worldwide: together with its predecessor, Understanding Bipolar Disorder, to which Cooke also contributed, it has been credited with helping increase public understanding of these mental health problems and of what can help.

Cooke continues to promote the key messages of Understanding Psychosis to professionals, service users, carers and the public at home and abroad. She is also engaged with colleagues in the 'Discursive of Tunbridge Wells' project, opening up debates about key issues in mental health and clinical psychology via a blog site and a series of podcasts. She said: 'I am delighted to receive this award which recognises the work that colleagues and I have been doing to make available good public information about mental health, and to ensure that the public conversation is informed by a psychosocial perspective. I am particularly proud to be doing this work in collaboration not only with other psychologists but also with people who have personal experience of the issues concerned. I would like to dedicate this award to the many service users and survivors I have met in the course of my career, whose perspectives have challenged me and have hugely influenced my ideas about psychosis, about mental health more generally, and about how clinical psychologists can be best be useful.'

Meanwhile, Dr Joanna North has won the Society's Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychology in Practice for 2017.  A researching psychologist, psychotherapist and Associate Fellow and Chartered member of the Society, Dr North set up an Ofsted Registered adoption support agency to serve the South West of England and local authorities across the UK in 2006. Over the last decade she has provided services to adoptive families throughout the UK, enabling them to continue to care for their children and give security and permanency to their lives. By offering solutions for managing children that encourage hope and self-efficacy, Dr North aims to gives adoptive parents confidence and the capacity to remain involved throughout the child's life and beyond.

Dr North said: 'It is very encouraging to receive this award and I am grateful for this recognition of my work by The Board. The agency goes from strength to strength and will continue to serve the community of adoptive parents.'