Remarkable Ruth wins April’s Exceptional People Individual Award

School Health Nurse and Clinical Practice Teacher for The Bicester School Ruth Locke wins April’s Exceptional People Individual Award – an exceptional caring School Health Nurse who encourages and inspires others.

Remarkable Ruth wins April’s Exceptional People Individual Award

School Health Nurses are specialist public health nurses who are based in state schools across Oxfordshire. They work closely with children, young people, and their families to support and promote health and wellbeing, often working alongside school safeguarding and multi-agency professionals to keep children and young people safe and well.

Ruth has worked as a School Health Nurse for over 15 years and has an extremely busy caseload, based at a secondary school in a deprived area of the county. She has established herself as a passionate advocate for young people and is an expert practitioner in safeguarding and sexual health, offering advice and support to her colleagues across the county. Ruth has connected to some of the most vulnerable young people and provided care and support that has changed their lives. Ruth works with LGBTQ young people on a one-to-one basis, and represents the school health service, striving for more resources for young people and their families, and for the health practitioners that support them.

Ruth is also a Community Practice Teacher and has post graduate students with her in practice, throughout the academic year, teaching by example all the different and complex elements of the role, while nurturing them through the academic pressures and stresses of the masters level course.

Ruth has also developed and promoted an education programme for our undergraduate nursing students that ensures their 6–8-week placements within our service meet their learning needs and gives them an excellent experience of the public health work undertaken by School Health Nurses.

Ruth this year has also taken on a management role as an area team leader, managing sickness and vacancies, delivering area team meetings, supporting staff through a transition to a new service model.

The nomination

Ruth was nominated by Operational Manager at Abingdon Community Hospital Margaret Fallon for being conscientious, professional, and kind.

Margaret commented:

“Ruth is a conscientious and professional practitioner, the care she delivers to the young people in Bicester School covers all aspects of physical, and mental and emotional health. She is well respected by school staff and much appreciated for the support she gives to her School Health Nurse colleagues. Staff and students who work alongside Ruth note her passion for young people, her considerable knowledge and her ability to engage young people and bring them on side.

“Ruth always keeps the young person at the centre of her care. She will challenge and advocate on their behalf, never shying away from a difficult conversation with a young person, teacher, social worker, or colleague. Ruth will go over and above to support a young person and this year had a former student feedback 3 years after leaving school, when in a tricky situation, she always thinks ‘what would Ruth advise?’

“Ruth has set up a special interest group for School Health Nurses, to develop tools to build confidence and skills around emotional and mental health support for young people in secondary schools and colleges, a significant amount of the caseload which has increased since lockdowns. Ruth is also advocating on behalf of the service for resources, policies, and training to build resilience and confidence in School Health Nurses to support LGBTQ young people.”

Feedback from the designated safeguarding lead at Bicester School:

“Your professionalism working with our students and parents is amazing. I welcome your advice and guidance during some of our difficult cases with safeguarding, but I think that our joint decisions are always the correct ones. Our students get on well with you and are grateful for help and support.”

Feedback from postgraduate student:

“You have been amazing throughout; nothing is ever too much trouble and I know you have truly meant it when you said I can call you anytime. Thank you for all the support you have shown me throughout semester one.”

Feedback from undergraduate student:

“I really enjoyed my day with you! I found that you were exceptionally knowledgeable and passionate about your role. It really came across in how you interacted with the children.”

Ruth commented: “Thank you for this award it means a great deal to me. I feel very fortunate to work alongside such a kind, supportive and skilled workforce who work incredibly hard to improve health outcomes in young people. I have had an incredible line manager who has encouraged my development and growth as a practitioner.”

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Published: 17 July 2024