Mental Health Awards 2026

13 GHP Mental Health Awards 2026 Programme and the University of Vasile Alecsandri of Bacau in Romania. She has also spoken at the House of Lords about the role of occupational therapy in supporting children with attachment and trauma difficulties, highlighting her advocacy and leadership within the profession. Within Achieve Occupational Therapy Ltd, Claire leads a team of highly skilled occupational therapy assistants and associate occupational therapists, all dedicated to providing exemplary services. The team’s exceptional communication skills and ability to apply therapeutic use of self and self-regulation principles enable them to engage meaningfully even with the most challenging clients. By reading body language and physiological symptoms of stress, they build trusted relationships with children and their families, fostering empathy and supporting developmental progress. Achieve also collaborates with numerous UK charities and offers six hours of free occupational therapy annually to local schools, supporting training, assessments, and drop-in sessions, thereby reinforcing its community commitment. One of Claire’s notable innovations is the development of the Tree of Trust, co-created with one of her most complex clients. This model illustrates the extensive effort required for a child with complex trauma to build a trusting therapeutic relationship. The young client, after seven years out of school and limited social interaction, made significant progress over two years through walking, talking, and sensory nature-based interventions, ultimately entering specialist college and continuing to thrive. The Tree of Trust is now used widely to help educators, practitioners, parents, and carers understand trust development and the necessity of relational support to rebuild lost trust, facilitating engagement in daily life. Occupational therapy is crucial in addressing complex trauma, attachment, sensory, and developmental challenges. Claire Ginty exemplifies the highest standards of practice in this field. Her leadership of Achieve Occupational Therapy Ltd has been instrumental in delivering impactful, compassionate, and evidenceinformed services across the UK and abroad, benefiting children, families, and the wider community from the outset. Contact: Claire Ginty Company: Achieve Occupational Therapy Ltd Web Address: https://www.achieveot.co.uk/ ccupational therapy practitioners play a vital role in addressing trauma at universal, targeted, and intensive intervention levels. They create environments that promote safety, competence, and positive social connections, which are essential for children to be present and engaged in learning and healing processes. Their expertise in the cognitive, social, emotional, and sensory components of activity significantly impacts behavior and recovery, making occupational therapists indispensable members of mental health teams. Claire Ginty, Director of Achieve, is a remarkable consultant specialist independent occupational therapist working across mental and physical health. Renowned for her advanced expertise in the Bobath Method and sensory integration, Claire’s continuous pursuit of knowledge led her to complete a master’s degree in attachment studies at The University of Roehampton, where she deepened her understanding of critical elements such as intimacy, social connection, and emotional regulation, principles that are now foundational to her practice. Claire’s specialist knowledge is sought after not only locally but also internationally, including significant training roles in Romania and contributions to the University of Hertfordshire’s Clinical Psychology PhD programme. Before establishing herself as an independent practitioner, Claire served as an integrated health, social care, and education occupational therapist within the NHS, where her exemplary work earned her eight NHS Hero Award nominations – an unprecedented achievement. During her NHS tenure, she developed and implemented a pioneering educational moving and handling service that has been adopted nationwide. Claire has an extensive and continually expanding training portfolio, reflecting her commitment to professional growth and evidencebased practice. Recent and ongoing advanced training includes Attachment and Trauma-focused certifications such as ATTACH Level 2 Assessment for Trauma and Attachment, Janina Fisher’s Trauma Treatment Certification, Gabor Maté’s Compassionate Inquiry, and the BdT Trauma Recovery Focused Model, among many others. Her training expertise encompasses sensory integration, emotional regulation, neurodevelopmental approaches, feeding/ oral motor therapies, postural care, upper limb management, and specialized yoga and massage techniques, demonstrating a holistic and multidisciplinary approach to therapy. Claire’s passion for advancing occupational therapy extends to supporting the professional development of others through clinical mentorship, student placements, and lecturing at various international venues, including the European Blended Intensive Achieve Occupational Therapy Ltd offers exemplary independent therapy services to children from birth to young adult age, with particular areas of specialty including treating those with cerebral palsy, autism, brain injuries, attachment disorders, multi-sensory impairments, and other acquired or genetic conditions that result in developmental delays, learning difficulties, and broader sensory integration needs. This exceptional work is carried out in partnership with numerous local authorities, schools, the NHS, social services, charities, and other entities. Best Nationwide Holistic Therapeutic Intervention Company 2026 - East of England O

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTUyMDQwMA==