A health visitor team leader from Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust’s Healthy Together service has been presented with a coveted Cavell Star Award, for the exceptional care she shows to her team and the families she supports.

Emma McAneny, who works in the Hinckley and Bosworth health visiting service, which helps families with babies and children aged up to five-years-old, was nominated by her team for being an ‘exceptional team leader’.

In their nomination, Emma’s team wrote: “Emma’s unwavering dedication, kindness, and support has not only uplifted our team, but also sets a remarkable example of what it means to be a true leader. Her ability to foster a nurturing and positive environment has allowed each of us to thrive and deliver the best care we can. Emma’s compassion and empathy shines through in everything she does. Her leadership has not only strengthened our team, but also touched the countless lives of the families in our area by helping us be the best we can be.”

Emma, who is from Tamworth, qualified as an adult nurse in 2000 and as a health visitor in 2013, has been leading the team for the past eight and a half years.

She said: “When I found my team had nominated me for the award, I was very shocked as I just do my job to the best of my ability. It is lovely to feel appreciated and that the job I do is valued by my team. I am lucky to work with an amazing team and have known many of them for a long time. They all work very hard, and we work well together. I enjoy supporting the staff in my team and enjoy making a difference.”

Cavell Star Awards are given to nurses, midwives, nursing associates and healthcare assistants who shine bright and show exceptional care to their colleagues, patients or patients’ families. The awards are run by the Cavell charity, named after WW1 British nurse Edith Cavell, which supports UK nurses, midwives, nursing associates and maternity support workers, working and retired, when they’re suffering personal or financial hardship often due to illness, disability, older age, domestic abuse and the ongoing cost of living crisis.

More information about Cavell can be found online: https://cavell.org.uk/

Parents and carers who want more advice and support in between health visitor appointments can go to the Health for Under 5s website, which has an array of articles written by NHS professionals about supporting healthy, happy early years.