Page 20 - QNIS_eBook

Joan
The welfare of children has always been close
to Joan
Gracie’s heart and as as Team Leader for School Nursing in in in Forth Valley she she feels she she is making a a a a a a a real difference “There are so many young people in in in need of help ” she says “Here we are determined to see they get it hopefully at an
early stage ” Between them Joan
and her team offer support to around 500 families a a a a a a a a a a a a year “We mainly work with children and and young people for whom there are emotional and and behavioural issues ” ” says Joan
“We spend time with them and their families to unpick what that’s about ” ” THE NURSING INSTITUTE SCOTLAND
When she came into school nursing from health visiting in in in in 2007 Joan
was was struck by the the need for modernisation “It was was the the traditional medical model nurses doing clinics and and seeing to the routine physical health needs of children and and young people ” ” says Joan
“I could see that change was required ” ” Joan
manages the school nursing service in in in Stirling and and Clackmannanshire and and oversees a a a a a a a a a a a a a team made up of a a a a a a a a a Health Care Assistant a a a a a a a a a family support worker two counsellors and 10 Staff Nurses The following year Clackmannanshire School Nursing Service was selected as as a a a a a a a pilot site for the Scottish Government’s Health and Wellbeing in in Schools project which came with the resources to to to create a a a a a a a a gold-star service “It offered an
an
an
an
opportunity to to to do something different to to to build capacity and and partnership working and and think strategically ” says Joan
staff went back to to their substantive posts Undeterred Joan
resolved to to to rebuild the the the service with reduced resources “The “The team got together and we we we thought about what we we we could do ” ” she says “The “The way we we we work now is the result ” The nurses on on the the team have received additional training to support children and and and families with with the the the the most complex needs and and and they work work closely with with partners in in in in the the the the local authority and and and third sector to to to enable working together in in in in more meaningful ways Bringing together all sectors - the the education department youth services services social services services and and charities – Joan
and and her her team established a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a way way of working that evaluated strongly But when recession hit in in in 2010 funding fell away and many 18 QNIS Meet the New Queen’s Nurses