<scp>S</scp>kellern <scp>L</scp>ecture and the <scp>J</scp>ournal of <scp>P</scp>sychiatric and <scp>M</scp>ental <scp>H</scp>ealth <scp>N</scp>ursing <scp>L</scp>ifetime <scp>A</scp>chievement <scp>A</scp>ward 2015

Some might say it is either modesty or a lack of confidence that has meant that mental health nurses have had less of a public profile than other colleagues like psychiatrists or psychologists. However, the annual Skellern Lecture and the Journal of Psychiatric & Mental Health Nursing Award, which has become a popular event on the mental health nursing calendar, has been a chance to showcase the very best of the profession. The Skellern Lecture was established in 1980 to remember the contribution of Eileen Skellern, who was an influential figure in shaping mental health nursing in the UK, whose contribution to the evolution of the profession might be placed alongside Hildegard Peplau and Annie Altschul (see Winship et al. 2009). One of Eileen Skellern's last contributions was the planning of the First International Psychiatric Nursing Congress in 1980, but sadly she passed away shortly before the conference. The inaugural Skellern Lecture was delivered 2 years later by Baroness McFarlane, and then over the following years the Skellern Lecture was held biannually attracting a roster of leading nurses: (1984) Prof. Annie Altschul, (1986) Baroness Caroline Cox, (1988) Prof. Jennifer Wilson-Barnett, (1990) Prof. Tony Butterworth, (1993) Prof. David Sines (1997) and Dr. Ben Thomas. In 2006, the Skellern Lecture series was revitalized as an annual event, and in collaboration with the Journal of Psychiatric & Mental Health Nursing (JPMHN) Lifetime Achievement Award was introduced with the aim of celebrating a sustained career contribution in the field of mental health. For the 2006 event, a new appointments panel was gathered together consisting of previous lecturers and sponsoring organizations. This panel has steadily grown in size since (for the current appointments panel, see www.skellern.info) and now is supported by the Skellern Lecture Trust, which is held by the Institute of Mental Health in Nottingham, UK. Each year, the panel receives nominations for both the Skellern Lectureship and the JPMHN Lifetime Achievement Award. The Skellern Lecture nominations are not limited to only mental health nurses, so it is not a uni-disciplinary event, and in the past there have been people beyond the field of mental health nursing who have been nominated, but on each occasion it has been an Mental Health Nurse (MHN) who has been appointed. Shortlisted candidates for the Skellern Lecture are asked to present a title and synopsis, and lifetime candidates a short biography. The panel then vote on their preferences for each award. Since 2006, the Skellern lecturers and their lecturer titles are as follows: (2006) Dr. Julie Repper: The Changing Agenda in Mental Health; (2007) Catherine Gamble: The Rise of the Nursing Phoenix; (2008) Prof. Len Bowers: Time Present, Time Past and Time Future: Reflections on Psychiatric Nursing Research; (2009) Dr. Neil Brimblecombe: Mental Health Care & Mental Health Nursing – Professional Triumph or Social Failure?; (2011) Prof. Patrick Callaghan: Is There a Case for Mental Health Nursing in the 21st Century?; (2012) Prof. Karina Lovell: What Has Mental Health Nursing Contributed to Primary Care?; (2013) Prof. Alan Simpson: Peers, Professionals and Politics: Mental Health Nursing in an Age of Austerity; and (2014) Prof. Joy Duxbury: In Defence of the Indefensible, Physical Restraint in Mental Health Settings. The JPMHN Lifetime Achievement Award has attracted a list of internationally recognized figures: (2006) Prof. Phil Barker, (2007) Jo Brand, (2008) Bryn Davis, (2009) Helen Bamber, (2011) Peter Nolan, (2012) Shirley Smoyak, (2013) Malcolm Rae and (2014) Hugh McKenna. The ongoing standing of the JPMHN Lifetime Achievement Award and the Skellern Lecture is thanks to the continued support of event sponsors and supporters, the willingness of colleagues to have their names to go forward to the shortlist, and the effort of organizational teams that host the evening. The last Skellern event in 2014 was a memorable evening, with Joy Duxbury delivering a Skellern Lecture that was radical and thought-provoking looking at the controversy of physical restraint. On the same evening, Hugh McKenna accepted his JPMHN Lifetime Achievement Award with an address that was informative, humorous and inspiring. The 2014 event was held at the Maudsley, which was something of homecoming for the Skellern Lecture as it was at the Maudsley where Eileen Skellern ended her illustrious career. The shortlists for both the 2015 Skellern Lecture and the JPMHN Lifetime Achievement Award were as strong as ever (see www.skellern.info), and the decision of the panel was announced, as has become custom, at the conference dinner of the annual Network for Psychiatric Nursing Research (UK) conference. The panel had a tough task, but in the end it was Prof. Ian Norman who was appointed to deliver the Skellern Lecture 2015, and Marion Janner to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. Prof. Norman's proposal for the lecture had the title: ‘The Art and Science of Mental Health Nursing: Reconciled in the Interests of Recovery Oriented Practice and Public Mental Health’; and the synopsis: ‘This lecture will trace the history of mental health nursing as a practice and academic discipline and its origins in two traditions: the interpersonal relations tradition (the art of mental health nursing) and the evidenced-based tradition (the science). Once seen to be in conflict these traditions appear to have been largely reconciled as the focus of mental health policy turns to promoting core values which support recovery oriented mental health practice. Looking to the future the lecture will draw upon my experience of collecting evidence as a member of the Mental Health Foundation's Inquiry into the future of mental health services (MHF 2013) and reflect on the implications of future directions for the profession’. Marion Janner's Lifetime Achievement is in recognition of her work as the founder of ‘Star Wards’. Marion has been a vociferous campaigner for equal rights with people with mental health problems, and is a former mental health service user whose personal experiences of inpatient care directly shaped the development of Star Wards. In 2010, she was awarded an Order of the British Empire in recognition of her work. Marion's award recognizes the improvements that ‘Star Wards’ has brought to psychiatric practice. Star Wards was an initiative established by Marion after her experience as a detained inpatient. The project works with inpatient units to improve patient experience. The following was Marion's response to being awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award: ‘This is an incredible honour and completely unexpected! While I work closely with, and indeed my recovery from a vicious mental illness has only been possible thanks to, mental health nurses, I'm not a nurse. I set up Star Wards to recognise and support the exceptionally skilled and demanding work of mental health nurses, not least those at my local hospital St Ann's in Tottenham. I'm beyond thrilled to receive such an amazing accolade from the nursing community whose work I deeply admire’. The Skellern Lecture 2015 and Marion's JPMHN Lifetime Achievement address will take place on the evening of 11th June 2015 at the University of Nottingham UK. The evening is free and open to all, and places can be reserved at www.skellern.info. It promises to be a brilliant occasion and a great opportunity to celebrate the profession. This will be the first occasion that the event has been held outside of London, so should be an opportunity for many people to attend the lecture for the first time. On a note of sadness, this last year has seen the passing of two people who have been closely connected to Skellern Lecture and the JPMHN Lifetime Award. First Julia Brooking died earlier this year. Julia succeeded Eileen Skellern at Maudsley and played an important role in establishing the Skellern Lecture in the 1980s. She was also supportive of the revitalization of the event in 2006. Helen Bamber also sadly passed away. Helen was awarded the JPMHN Lifetime Achievement in 2009. For those who were there at Helen's address the evening when she received award, it was indeed a privilege to witness. Helen was a giant who shaped the way which we have come to appreciate the necessity of human rights as a core value, whose influence has penetrated deeply into many fields, including mental health practice. They will be much missed. So what of the future of the Skellern Lecture and the JPMHN Awards? Although there have been international candidates shortlisted for the lecture and the lifetime awards, so far there has only been one international recipient (Shirley Smoyak, 2013). We were delighted that Cheryl Forchuk travelled from Canada in 2008 to deliver a response to Len Bowers Skellern Lecture, but there is plenty of scope to see more international nominations and appointments in the years to come. If the Skellern Lecture and JPMHN Lifetime Achievement Award are to have an impact, it will be crucial that it grows into an internationally recognized event. It was Eileen Skellern's vision that the endeavour of mental health nursing should be one that brings together an international like-minded family.

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