28th June 2024
We are delighted to once again invite applications to the iHV SCPHN Student Health Visitor Awards 2024. This is a fantastic opportunity for Higher Education Institutions providing SCPHN education programmes across the UK to celebrate the amazing achievements of their student health visitors. The award recognises the hard work and valuable contribution that student health visitors make to strengthening the quality of service provision for babies, children and families. To make a submission, students are invited to prepare a 350-word abstract showcasing an innovation in practice. Each submission must be supported by an academic assessor or practice assessor or supervisor.
Submissions close Friday 23 August 2024.
Students must hold current iHV membership.
What are people saying about the awards…?
“Winning the iHV SCPHN Student Heath Visitor Award can open doors to some amazing opportunities.”
“Winning an award can boost confidence during the preceptorship period.”
“I would encourage all students to consider applying for the 2024 SCPHN award!”
“Celebrating students’ achievements is vital”
Read on to learn more about how winning an iHV SCPHN Student Health Visitor Award can make a real difference.
Karen Whittaker
iHV Education Lead
“Recognise and champion new talent joining the health visiting workforce.”
Dr Karen Whittaker
“As a former SCPHN course leader and health visitor lecturer, I welcome the iHV SCPHN student award as an opportunity to recognise and champion new talent joining the health visitor workforce. The dynamic nature of community settings, service systems and family life, makes health visiting a demanding but increasingly important role. By submitting an application to the iHV 2024 student award, students are sharing their energy, enthusiasm and ideas for practice development. Practice supervisors, assessors and lecturers supporting student applications, are offering their commitment to the new generation of health visitors and their vital contribution to the lives of babies, children and families.”
Leonie Boniface
Health Visitor (Specialist Community Public Health Nurse)
Wrightington Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
0-19 Children’s Services
“Winning the iHV SCPHN Student Heath Visitor Award can open doors to some amazing opportunities.”
Leonie Boniface
“Winning 1st place in the iHV SCPHN Student Awards 2023 was a wonderful surprise and honour. I have always been so passionate about reducing inequalities for babies and their families and to begin my career in health visiting on such a high was a privilege.
Winning the award 12 months ago has already opened so many doors to some amazing opportunities that I never thought I would be part of so early in my career as a health visitor.
The iHV has given me the opportunity to be part of the of the steering group for the co-development of the iHV UK Preceptorship Framework for Health Visitors which will shape preceptorship for newly qualified health visitors on a UK wide level. I am a member of the iHV Health Visitor Advisory Forum where I am able to network with pioneering professionals across the UK. I also have the opportunity to provide peer review of articles and keep up-to-date with health visiting. I am a co-chair to the iHV Student Health Visitor Networking event where I have had the opportunity to speak with current students across the UK. Also, I have recently been accepted onto the iHV Leading Excellence in Practice programme which I am really enjoying.
Winning the award has received attention from local news to national charities, and I am so grateful for the support and encouragement I have received from the iHV, my employer and also my previous programme lead – Karen Hughes at MMU. I am so proud to be a health visitor and I look forward to a long and purposeful career dedicating myself to reducing inequalities for children and their families.”
Claire Black
Health Visitor, 0-19 Starting Well Service, Cheshire“Winning an award can boost confidence during the preceptorship period.”
Claire Black
“As I was approaching the end of my SCPHN Course I was asked to submit an abstract for the iHV Student Awards. Initially I was apprehensive as I didn’t feel I had anything suitable, however following discussion with mentors we identified an initiative I had been involved in. I was so surprised and ecstatic to receive 2nd place – the feedback was so lovely from the panel and I was able to share it with the rest of the team I worked with.
From receiving 2nd place, I was also asked to take part in a podcast, which was great. I am currently co-chair for the iHV Student Network events, this is something that I really enjoy being a part of. I enjoy supporting the current SCPHN students and being able to offer advice for them during their studies but also talking about preceptorship and life as a newly qualified health visitor which I hope they have found useful.
I am very proud of this achievement and believe that it has given me confidence during my preceptorship.”
Robin Williams
Health Visitor, 0-5 years, Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust
“I would encourage all students to consider applying for the 2024 SCPHN award!”
Robin Williams
“I read about the SCPHN award online and thought it would be a good thing to apply for. However, with a packed schedule of visits with my mentors, managing assignments and multiple university deadlines, I was a bit hesitant about whether I truly had the time. My lecturer urged me to consider making an application, which I saw as fate, so decided to apply. Together, we discussed the application, and I felt supported in applying. In the end, it did not take as much time as I had initially assumed it would.
I received notification of excellent feedback from the iHV judging panel informing me that I had been awarded joint third place. As I read the email notification of my award several times, I could not stop smiling as pride and achievement flooded my body.
Since August 2023, I have been able to produce a podcast with Amanda Holland, iHV Professional Services Lead, discussing my innovation, and I am now part of the IHV working group to co-develop an iHV UK Preceptorship Framework for Health Visitors. I have also been invited to be a member of the judging panel for the iHV SCPHN Student Health Visitor 2024. The iHV Award has given me recognition and added credibility to my knowledge and capability. I have been asked to share my knowledge with colleagues and invited to join a father’s review working party within my trust. Someone once said that life is full of surprises, and as a proud joint recipient of the 3rd place SCPHN Award, I would encourage all students to consider applying for the 2024 SCPHN award!”
Karen Afford
Programme Lead/ Senior Lecturer for MSc/PGDip/BSc Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (Health Visiting / School Nursing) MSc/PGDip/BSc Specialist Community Nursing (Community Children’s Nursing / District Nursing / General Practice Nursing), School of Health and Social Work, University of Hertfordshire
“Celebrating students’ achievements is vital”
Karen Afford
“Celebrating our students’ achievements is vital, as it highlights their invaluable contributions to our service and drives meaningful change. Winning an iHV SCPHN Student Health Visitor Award is just the beginning of countless opportunities, inspiring not only the student but also their peers and commissioners to strive for excellence and innovation in their careers.”
