Care starts at home – and makes 'amazing' difference for families

FOR Simon Hardcastle, nursing is not just a service provided in hospitals.

The team leader at the children's and community service at Nottingham's Children's Hospital knows the positive impact that caring for people in their homes can have.

The service allows children and young people to be cared for in comfort at home rather than have to spend a long time in hospital.

And Simon, whose role is in the "CARIN 4 Families" project, said: "For parents, they feel more relaxed because their children are being cared for by people who are competent to care for them, their children feel safer in their own home and parents are more relaxed because their children are happier."

He added: "It's helping them get back to that family life. Families can get back to being families and parents get back to being parents rather than nurses."

The service, which includes around 15 nurses, family support workers to be able to provide care in children's homes.

"Years ago, children who had problems with their breathing would have spent up to a year or two in hospital – they didn't have the people or the services to care for that child's health needs – we can go out and provide that.

"It make an amazing difference to the lives of the families."

The nurses deal with a range of illnesses or conditions from people with tracheotomies to those with epilepsy or cerebral palsy.

For Simon, the reasons for doing the job are simple.

"I've only recently joined the team, in September last year, for me it was an opportunity to develop my skills," he said.

And he went on: "My passion has been working with children with complex health needs. It's seeing children in their own home environment and knowing they are cared for.

And the Post's nurse of the year competition is something that Simon feels is truly worthwhile.

"It's really important that the public get to see real nursing at its best and it's one way of getting people to see that," he said.

Simon is just one of many nurses in Notts who excel in their job.

This week and next, we will be highlighting the work done in our hospitals by telling the stories of our nurses.

The Post's Nurse of the Year competition, which was launched on Monday, April 22, aims to reward those caring staff who go above and beyond in their roles.

Nomination forms and details of the competition can be found on Page 34 of today's Post.