Stephanie Lael, who serves as clinical team leader on the Springs Unit at Cygnet Hospital Harrow, has been honoured with a Professional Award at the 2026 Mental Health Awards.
The recognition acknowledges her dedication to supporting patients with extremely challenging care requirements at the facility located on London Road.
Lael was instrumental in establishing the hospital’s Enhanced Package of Care initiative, a programme designed specifically for individuals whose needs cannot be adequately addressed through standard treatment approaches.
The service provides intensive support to patients experiencing prolonged periods of segregation.
Maryanne Mathews, ward manager at the same facility, put Lael forward for the award.
Mathews described Lael as having a fundamentally transformative effect on the service, noting her ability to recognise capabilities in patients that they struggle to identify in themselves, and maintaining that confidence until individuals begin to accept their own potential.
The nomination highlighted how Lael contributed to building a care environment where patients with intricate and demanding presentations receive genuine opportunities to progress.
According to Mathews, this represents a lasting contribution not because Lael accomplished it independently, but because she inspired colleagues to share her conviction that such progress was achievable.
Lael reflected that much of the work in mental health nursing occurs in private moments invisible to others, such as remaining present with someone experiencing profound suffering, speaking up on behalf of those unable to speak for themselves, and returning the following day despite the difficulties of the previous one.
She noted that recognition is not typically anticipated in such circumstances, which made receiving the award particularly meaningful.
She explained that engagement with long-term segregation cases had been among the most significant professional experiences of her career, demonstrating that when conventional methods prove ineffective for an individual, the responsibility lies in challenging the methodology rather than abandoning the patient.
Lael will officially receive her certificate during the Mental Health Awards ceremony scheduled for October 8 at Reading Town Hall.