Lancasterian SchoolSchool Nurse
I’m Scott Woods, your school nurse here at Lancasterian.
I am a Specialist School Nursing Charge Nurse, working closely with Paula Kennedy, the Senior Nursing Assistant, as part of the Special Needs School Nursing Service within the Manchester Local Care Organisation (MLCO). We work together with the complex care team and the Star team in the community to provide hollistic care and support for the children of Lancasterian and their families, whether in school or at home. We are based at the school and provide care Monday to Friday during normal school hours. There is always a member of the nursing team on site and ready to help!
Prior to joining the Special Needs School Nursing team I worked on the Childrens Community Nursing Acute Team, conducting clinics and home visits to support children with a recent illness or injury, or with long standing health conditions that require nursing input. Before that I worked at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital on the ward that specialises in neurology, neurosurgery, tracheostomies, orthopaedic surgery and trauma.
When not in my NHS role I also work annually for the multisensory impairment charity Sense, as a Holiday Leader, planning and managing UK based holidays for children with multiple complex needs.
Paula has an extensive background and a wealth of knowledge of caring for adults and children with varying disabilities requiring wide ranging needs. From home ventilation, to respite care, and from residential care to specialist school settings.
As a safeguarding lead for the school I attend regular safeguarding meetings and work closely with other services within the MLCO in order to help identify and support any welfare issues that arise, and keep the children safe when they’re not in school.
As well as being based at school in order to be on hand for any emergencies that might arise, we are also closely aligned with Dr Rekha, the Community Consultant Paediatrician for Lancasterian. We organise and attend her weekly clinics held in school and conduct frequent reviews of the children in order to manage their care effectively.
Our other tasks include dispensing and administering daily and emergency medications, training staff in emergency and routine procedures and other applicable skills, and maintaining clear communication channels and positive working relationships with other relevant teams and care givers in order to deliver a ‘full picture’ approach to care.
We take real pride in the work we do here and the health provision at the school is CQC accredited.
Although experience is essential to these roles, the most important thing is how much we love working with the children and we relish every opportunity to get to know them.
We like to think we’re friendly and open here, so if you have any questions about the way we work or the care we can provide, please don’t hesitate to call, text, or email!