28/11/2024
The winners of the Davin Corrigan Legacy Award were revealed this week at an event held to acknowledge outstanding projects involving patients, service users and their families taking place across the Western Trust area
Held as part of the Western Trust’s annual Involve Fest West week, the Davin Corrigan Legacy Award was established in memory of Davin and recognises impactful initiatives within the Trust that have strengthened patient and service user safety through meaningful engagement with service users, families, and carers.
Opening the event, Chief Executive of the Western Trust, Neil Guckian said:
“Involve Fest West week highlights the transformative power of coproduction, showcasing projects co-designed with service users and carers. It is fitting that this awards event, inspired by Davin’s life and legacy, takes its place at the heart of our involvement events. We celebrate the exceptional work taking place within the Trust and acknowledge the lasting impact of Davin’s story. His legacy reminds us of the importance of listening, of learning and involving those we serve to ensure that safety and quality remains at the forefront of everything we do.”
The nomination process attracted 14 nominations, each demonstrating innovation and dedication to improving safety and care through engagement. After a rigorous selection process, a panel of judges shortlisted three exceptional initiatives for the final stage. The shortlisted projects were then opened to a public voting scheme, with an impressive 1,136 votes cast.
The event incorporated presentations from each of the three shortlisted projects, It also included inspirational talks from Guest Speaker and founder of ARC fitness, Gary Rutherford and Service User representatives, Claire Henderson.
The winner, with 59% of the public votes, was the Children and Young People’s Autism Service, Early Intervention Service (EIS), an initiative that has made significant strides in improving services for young people with autism and their families. The award was presented by Karen O’Brien, Director of Adult Mental Health and Disability Services, at a ceremony held recently at the Fir Trees Hotel, Strabane.
Brónach McMonagle, Involvement Lead for the Western Trust, commented:
“This award is a tribute to the lasting legacy of Davin Corrigan. It celebrates the power of engagement in shaping safer and more effective services. The passion and commitment demonstrated by all 14 projects, especially the final three, are a testament to the meaningful changes we can achieve when we listen to and involve our service users and carers.”
Closing the event and presenting the award, Karen O’Brien, said:
“Davin was the catalyst for improvement work within Mental Health services. The Corrigan family challenged us to never forget the importance of working with families in their journey.”
“I was delighted to present the Davin Corrigan Legacy Award to the Young People’s Autism Early Intervention project for their work with families and children of primary school age experiencing worry and anxiety.”
Davin’s mother, Aisling Corrigan attended the event Davin’s father, Dessie, Davin’s siblings and other members of Davin’s family. Aisling said: