14th November 2025

Celebrating Excellence in Health Visiting – iHV announces the SCPHN Student Health Visitor and SCPHN Lecturer Award winners 2025

The Institute of Health Visiting is proud to announce the winners of the 2025 SCPHN Student Health Visitor Award and the SCPHN Lecturer Award!

These prestigious Awards honour outstanding contributions to health visiting — recognising both the dedication of students embarking on their professional journey and the inspirational educators guiding them.

The iHV SCPHN Student Health Visitor Award 2025 is awarded to students whose service innovations demonstrate leadership in action to strengthen the quality of service provision for babies, children and families.

We recognise how studying to become a registered SCPHN health visitor can be exciting, daunting and challenging. However, the commitment to improve outcomes for babies, children and families acts as an important drive during what can be the most demanding period of a health visitor’s career. The contribution that student health visitors make is really incredible.

It gives us great pleasure to announce this year’s award winners of the iHV SCPHN Student Health Visitor Award 2025.

Huge congratulations to:

• 1^st place – Mary Donnelly, Ulster University
• 2^nd place – Olivia Farley, Manchester Metropolitan University
• 3^rd place – Mel Hanson, University of Derby

Thank you to all those who submitted to the Award. The judging panel enjoyed reading all submissions, which were of a high quality. We extend our thanks to 2023 – 3^rd place runner up, Robin Williams, for joining the panel of judges again this year.

The iHV SCPHN Lecturer Award 2025 is awarded to a lecturer who has demonstrated exceptional leadership in strengthening the quality of education provision for SCPHN health visiting students.

It gives us great pleasure to announce that this year’s award has gone to:

• Jennifer Kirman, Associate Professor and SCPHN health visiting and school nursing lead at Oxford Brookes University.

Jennifer Kirman, Mary Donnelly and Mary’s practice assessor have been awarded complimentary tickets to the iHV Leadership Conference on 3 December in London where they will present their work and receive their Awards.

Read on to find out how the Awards winners reacted to the news of winning an Award and what it means to them:

Mary Donnelly, student at Ulster University – 1^st place

” I am absolutely delighted to have received the Award – it still feels surreal! My work highlighting health risks for migrant families has shown me how vital the SCPHN role is in supporting vulnerable communities. I hope this recognition provides a platform to raise further awareness of these needs. I’m so grateful to my assessor for reminding me that students can drive meaningful change, and I’m really looking forward to attending the iHV Leadership Conference to learn from others and celebrate the difference we can make together!”

 

Wendy Mallon, Lecturer and Course Director for the SCPHN Pathways, Ulster University

“I am delighted that Mary has been awarded first prize in the iHV Student Awards. Mary has demonstrated a commitment, passion and innovation in SCPHN practice and her academic studies over the duration of the programme. She is displaying leadership skills and specialist knowledge in identifying children and families who are among the most vulnerable in communities in order to address health inequalities and improve health outcomes. Well done Mary.”

 

 

Olivia Farley, student at Manchester Metropolitan University – 2^nd place

“Hearing that I had been awarded second place for the Student Health Visitor iHV Award was an incredibly proud and humbling moment. This recognition means so much to me, it reflects my commitment to evidence-based practice, compassionate family support, and the values that underpin the role. It has strengthened my determination to continue advocating for children and families, and to contribute meaningfully to our profession as I progress in my career.”

 

Mel Hanson, student at the University of Derby – 3^rd place

“I was truly honoured and humbled to have been recognised with an Institute of Health Visiting Student SCPHN award for my work in promoting equitable care in health visiting. When I first heard the news, I was honestly overwhelmed, not just for myself, but for the families and communities who inspire this work every day. This recognition means so much because it reflects something bigger than me: the importance of making sure every baby, every parent, and every family receives fair, compassionate, and culturally responsive care.

To be acknowledged by the iHV in this way strengthens my commitment to continue advocating, educating, and pushing for systems where no one is overlooked or left behind. This is a moment I’ll treasure forever, and a reminder that when we lead with purpose, courage, and heart, real change happens.

Here’s to continuing the work to champion inclusion, ensuring every baby and family receive the care they deserve.”

Jennifer Kirman, Associate Professor, SCPHN health visiting and school nursing programme lead, Oxford Brookes University – iHV SCPHN Lecturer Award 2025

“I was overjoyed when I received the email. I couldn’t quite believe that I had been awarded first prize. The changes I have made to the programme reflect the current context of the health-visiting workforce and post-pandemic higher education landscape. At a time when we need more health visitors, it is vital that the SCPHN programme is accessible to people who might feel unable to access higher education, given the time-consuming and costly nature of travel, as well as the need to manage study around caring responsibilities. I am delighted to have been recognised for this work to widen participation to our profession.”

 

Learn more about this year’s award winners and their amazing innovations in an iHV Voices blog due to be published at the end of November. Winners are also meeting with Amanda Holland, iHV’s Education, Learning and Development Lead, to record a special series of podcasts. More information on this coming soon.

We will soon be launching the iHV Awards 2026 – more information coming soon.