Times are tough for the health visiting and school nursing workforce. Practitioners are struggling to deliver the level of services for which they are commissioned, and thinking about further personal or professional development is not easy.

Despite this, the CPHVA Education and Development Trust can support innovation and academic endeavour through the annual MacQueen Awards bursaries to support projects in the UK and overseas travel as well as academic study.

Any member of the CPHVA can apply and the process is hopefully relatively easy with completion of an application form. Shortlisted candidates will then have an interview via zoom with a trustee, professional advisor, a colleague in practice or from education, and a professional officer from the CPHVA. Successful MacQueen recipients are encouraged to present their project or study at the CPHVA Annual Professional Conference and are required to publish an article in the professional journal.

The Trustees and Professional Advisors can offer help and support during the application process also for our MacQueen award winners. This includes advice with publication and preparation to present at the annual professional conference which is encouraged.

Dr MacQueen was a passionate supporter of health visiting services and in his role as Director of Public Health in Aberdeen, he understood the valuable contribution made by health visitors in the promotion of public health. The very generous bequest highlighted the importance of moving the profession forward, through undertaking research and excellence in education, preparing the next generation of health visitors.

The awards today reflect the importance of developing public health nursing practice in teams and in partnership with key stakeholders. We can support awardees who wish to look at public health practice overseas and assimilate and adapt some of these approaches in UK services.

We have supported awardees to top up qualifications to Masters and contributed towards others undertaking Doctoral studies. This can of course lead to opportunities to progress professionally and lead to the service development locally.

MacQueen Awards are made to individuals, although teams can benefit from the introduction of programmes that enhance practice that the award can fund. We are not able to support service development that employer organisations are required to introduce as these need to be financed internally. Applicants do however need to have endorsement from their organisation prior to submission.

Having a personal goal, whether that be ongoing professional development, the opportunity to look at public health practice in outside the UK, or enhancing practice through upskilling and introducing innovative ways to care for our children, young people, and their families and the communities in which they live.

Good luck!