Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has been awarded Triangle of Care Star 1 Accreditation, recognising its commitment to involving and supporting carers across mental health and community services.
The Triangle of Care programme brings together health services, people using services and carers to promote shared understanding and partnership, ensuring carers are recognised and supported throughout the care journey.
The accreditation was awarded following an independent peer review by Carers Trust in June 2026 and reflects the significant progress made since the merger of Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, Solent NHS Trust and Isle of Wight community mental health services. The merged Portsmouth and Isle of Wight teams formally received the accreditation on 13 July 2026.
The review highlighted the Trust's
• strong organisational commitment to carers
• robust governance arrangements
• dedicated carer support roles
• excellent partnership working with local carers' organisations and
• meaningful involvement of carers in service development.
Reviewers also recognised the Trust's five-year Working with People and Communities strategy and noted that support for carers is embedded as a "golden thread" throughout governance, engagement and clinical services.
Dr Lesley Stevens, Chief Quality & Engagement Officer, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: "Achieving Triangle of Care Star 1 Accreditation is an important recognition of our commitment to working in partnership with carers, who play a vital role in supporting the people who use our services. This accreditation reflects the dedication of colleagues across Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight to embedding a culture that recognises, values and supports carers at every stage of a person's care experience.
"I am particularly proud that the review highlighted the strength of our partnerships with local carers' organisations and the meaningful involvement of carers in shaping services. While we celebrate this achievement, we are focused on the next steps, including improving support for young carers and underrepresented groups, strengthening staff training and ensuring carers' voices continue to influence how we deliver care across our communities."
The Trust will now build on this success by focusing on aspects including strengthening carer identification and recording, increasing support for young carers and carers from underrepresented communities, and enhancing the way it measures and reports outcomes for carers.