Community nursery nurse of the year wins for being a “beacon of good practice”

A nursery nurse has been named ‘Community Nursery Nurse of the Year’ for her “outstanding work” developing the role of community nursery nurses in Leicestershire.

Barbara Evans, who works for Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, won the Community Practitioners’ and Health Visitors’ Association (CPHVA) award at a ceremony which celebrated ‘innovation and dedication’.

Ms Evans was one of the first community nursery nurses in Leicestershire 18 years ago. She is based at Hinckley and Bosworth Community Hospital, working alongside health visitors at the Earl Shilton and Barwell GP practices.

At an awards ceremony in London, Barbara was described as a “beacon of good practice” for her work in helping to standardise national practice and support colleagues.

She said, “It felt a little embarrassing, but wonderful to hear I had won the award, I think it’s recognition for our service and all community nursery nurses.”

Unite lead professional officer, Obi Amadi said: “The CPHVA Awards recognise the valuable contribution that members have made to the health and wellbeing of their communities.”

Community nursery nurses provide physical, emotional and spiritual care to children, support parenting and help develop play as a means of communicating with children and encouraging learning.

Working as part of health visiting teams, community nursery nurses from the Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust visit families at home to offer a range of support and advice such as helping parents to encourage healthy eating, which includes supporting weaning and breastfeeding.

They promote good post-natal mental health, which might include helping mother-baby interaction, through baby massage, for example. They also play a key role in assessing and supporting the development of a child.

This might include performing the two-year developmental assessment that every child receives, or supporting parents through dealing with behaviour problems or toilet training.

Image: Alison Wall (left) from the Feeding for Life Foundation presents Barbara Evan (right) with her award at the first ever Community Practitioners’ and Health Visitors’ Association (CPHVA) Awards - a celebration of ‘innovation, hard work and dedication’.