NSFT programme wins national award for innovative mental health intervention
A pioneering programme from Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust has won a national award for its innovative work helping children and young people overcome sleep difficulties and improve their mental health.
The Better Sleep Programme was named winner of the Innovative Mental Health Intervention category at the 2026 Mental Health Awards, recognising its groundbreaking approach to improving access to evidence-based sleep support and the significant impact achieved through partnership working across Norfolk and Waveney.
Sleep difficulties are a well-established contributor to poor mental health outcomes in children and young people. In response, the Better Sleep Programme has developed an innovative whole-system model that combines specialist treatment, workforce development, clinical supervision and ongoing support to ensure sleep becomes a routine part of mental healthcare.
Since its launch, the programme has trained more than 370 therapeutic practitioners to deliver its Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for Insomnia intervention and supported more than 830 practitioners through workshops and training events. More than 800 children and young people have completed the intervention, with outcome data showing significant improvements in both sleep and wellbeing.
The programme now supports sleep pathways across NHS, local authority and voluntary sector services throughout Norfolk and Waveney, helping to make sure children and young people receive timely support wherever they access mental health care.
Representatives from both the Better Sleep Programme and partner services attended the awards ceremony to collect the award, highlighting the collaborative approach that has helped embed sleep support across children's and young people's mental health pathways throughout Norfolk and Waveney.
Caroline Donovan, Chief Executive of Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, said: "This award is a tremendous achievement and a fitting recognition of the innovation, commitment and collaboration that sit at the heart of the Better Sleep Programme.
"What makes this achievement particularly impressive is the way the team has worked collaboratively with partners across the wider system, enabling evidence-based sleep support to reach far more children and young people than would otherwise have been possible.
"I am incredibly proud of the team's achievements and delighted to see their work recognised on a national stage."
Dr Rebecca Rollinson, Principal Clinical Psychologist and Lead for the Better Sleep Programme, said:
"We're delighted that the Better Sleep Programme has been recognised in this way. The judges highlighted both the importance of sleep as an innovative treatment focus within mental health services and the scale of impact achieved through partnership working across so many organisations and teams.
"This award reflects the commitment of colleagues across Norfolk and Waveney who have embraced the programme and helped embed sleep support into routine care. We're particularly grateful to our network of Sleep Leads, whose enthusiasm, expertise and dedication have made this possible.
"Most importantly, it represents the difference that better sleep can make to the lives of children and young people experiencing mental health difficulties."
The award follows several years of research, service development and partnership working aimed at ensuring children and young people can access effective support for sleep difficulties as part of routine mental health care.
One of the episodes in the latest series of NSFT’s Mental Health and You Podcast features the Trust’s Better Sleep Programme.
Listen on all major podcast platforms or via: https://www.nsft.nhs.uk/mental-health-and-you-podcast