Two mental health nurses in the North of England are proving that providing care can be a family affair.
With 20 years separating them in age, father and daughter duo Steven and Stevie-Leigh Jewell both recently qualified as registered mental health nurses with Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust. Steven began his journey in the care sector as a healthcare support worker at The Harbour in Blackpool, before going through a Trainee Nursing Association course. Following this, he went on to complete the Registered Nursing Degree Apprenticeship. Touching on his learning and experiences, Steven said:
“I started my own journey four years ago when I joined LSCft with no previous experience of working in mental health. The majority of my working life has been spent in manual jobs and working in retail as a greengrocer. I have always had an interest in mental health but wasn’t sure that opportunities would be available for someone like me who didn’t have any previous qualifications in nursing or mental health. It can be daunting starting a new career path later in life, but I have been supported and encouraged by my peers and managers to follow my dreams and it has led me here and I couldn’t be happier.”
Daughter Stevie-Leigh graduated from Edge Hill University and, always knowing that she would want to go into mental health services, studied whilst working at the trust to gain experience. She commented:
“I love my job and feel so lucky to be able to share this experience with my dad. We started studying at the same time, so it feels special to have graduated within a few weeks of each other, as we’ve both seen how hard we’ve worked. I’m excited for my future working life and the impact I have on people; I love knowing I’m making a difference and helping people live better and reach their full potential and I know my dad feels the same.”
Steven currently works with older adults, with Stevie-Leigh supporting older adults who are living with dementia, and both have always taken an interest in mental health. This comes after they have both experienced the impact that poor mental health can have on life, with Steven touching on this:
“Myself and Stevie-Leigh are both really passionate about helping others, it must be a trait that runs in the family!
“We have both at times experienced poor mental health and I think that is ultimately what drives us to want to help others. People often ask us who inspired who, but I think it was a joint effort after speaking about our career aspirations together we both realised we wanted the same thing. It has been wonderful to do this together and support one another, all be it via very different graduation paths.”
Chief Executive Chris Oliver also spoke about the father-daughter pairing:
“It is amazing to see Stephen and Stevie-Leigh both complete their studies simultaneously and continue their mental health nursing careers with us. Steven was named our ‘apprentice of the year’ for 2023 and I know he has been integral in many recent projects and invaluable in supporting other colleagues who are currently studying.
“To see their shared passion is inspirational, care and compassion clearly runs in their family. We are extremely lucky to have them working with our older adult service users and I personally can’t wait to see what else Steven and Stevie-Leigh go on to achieve with us.”
Image credit: iStock | Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust
