Judges Profile
Wendy
Nicholson MBE
Deputy chief nurse and deputy head of WHO
,Public Health England
Currently working within PHE, as Deputy Chief Nurse, Deputy Head of World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Public Health Nursing and Midwifery & Programme Director for Best Start in Life. This includes: providing professional leadership for public health nurses to strengthen local delivery & improve health and wellbeing outcomes for children, young people and families; leading policy development, generating and disseminating evidence relating for Maternity, Best Start in Life and 5-24. During Covid-19, as Deputy SRO she provided leadership, expert clinical and public health advice relating to children, young people, families and schools.
As Deputy Head of the WHO CC, she leads the work programme, generating and evidence, translating evidence into action; providing professional and clinical advice to other Collaborating Centres and member states. She is also an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Keele
Wendy regularly blogs, writes for professional journals and co-authored School nursing: Making a difference in adolescent health and wellbeing (2016) International handbook on adolescent health and development
Wendy volunteers as a member of Regional BBC Children in Need main Grants Committee and as an Independent Visitor for Looked after Children. She was awarded the MBE in the New Year 2019 honours list for services to nursing & children.
Early career history includes:
- Department for Health – Leading on school and community nursing
- Regional Government – Regional lead for Teenage pregnancy for North West and You’re Welcome Quality standards
- Higher Education – Principal Lecturer for pre-registration and post registration nursing
- Local Authority – leading Joint Commissioning and Policy Unit, implementing policy for Looked after Children, Care Leavers, Implementing Children’s Residential care home standards, Youth Justice review, Children’s rights and advocacy. Implementing one of the first Sure Start Trail-blazers in England; working with the Children’s Commissioner for Wales on Whistle blowing & Children in Need
- NHS – various roles within nursing including PICU and Neonatal ICU