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Health visiting team who support SEND children up for second award
Our Public Health Nursing team has been shortlisted for a second prestigious national award in recognition of its outstanding work to improve support to children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and their families.
Kirsty Jacques and Nikki Freeman, pictured, who lead SEND work within the Public Health Nursing service, have been named finalists in the newly launched Health Visiting Team of the Year category at the Institute of Health Visiting (iHV) Practice Awards 2026. The category celebrates excellence within health visiting and recognises innovative, courageous and inspiring examples of professional practice that are making a difference to children, families and communities.
It follows the recent announcement that the same team are also finalists in the Nursing Times Awards for their innovative work with children and families with SEND.
Nicola Brown, Assistant Director of Children's Universal Services at Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust, said: "We are incredibly proud that our team has been shortlisted for this national award, which comes hot on the heels of their last national award nomination.
“Kirsty and Nikki’s innovative work has developed services that help families access the right support at the right time, while ensuring children's needs are recognised and responded to as early as possible.
"The team, alongside the wider Public Health Nursing service and partner organisations, work tirelessly to improve the lives of children and families across Hertfordshire, and this latest recognition is richly deserved.”
The programme currently supports a SEND caseload of 3,259 children aged 0–5, representing just under 5 per cent of the total Hertfordshire caseload.
Key improvements include an embedded 0–5 SEND pathway, specialist advice surgeries, care coordinators, SEND Champion networks, workforce training and family navigation resources to help parents and carers understand referrals, appointments and next steps. The team has also adapted resources and care approaches to improve accessibility for parents with neurodivergence, learning disabilities and differing communication needs.
Kirsty and Nikki have co-established a national SEND Special Interest Group for 0–5 practitioners through the iHV, presented at five national conferences and organised two conferences to address gaps in early years SEND learning.
The winners of the iHV Practice Awards will be announced at a ceremony on 6 October 2026 at The Royal Society, London, while the Nursing Times Awards winners will be announced on 29 October at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel.
