Steven and Stevie-Leigh Jewell are a proud father and daughter who are now working alongside each other after both recently qualifying as registered mental health nurses.
There may be 20 years between Steven and Stevie-Leigh but their shared passion for helping others has led them both to graduate within weeks of each other and begin their new careers as registered mental health nurses at The Harbour.
Steven explains:
“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 what 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.”
Steven initially started as a healthcare support worker at The Harbour in Blackpool, gaining a vast wealth of experience of working in the care sector, before later undertaking a Trainee Nursing Associate course and finally completing the Registered Nursing Degree Apprenticeship.
Steven and Stevie-Leigh have always both taken an interest in mental health, after experiencing personally the impact poor mental health can have.
Steven adds:
“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.”
Stevie-Leigh’s journey to qualification saw her take what would be considered the more traditional route after graduating from Edgehill University. Like many others, Stevie-Leigh’s time at university was impacted by the pandemic which meant first year placements were cut short with extra time needed in subsequent years to make up the time. Stevie-Leigh always knew she wanted to work in mental health services and worked at the trust alongside her studies to gain as much experience for her degree course.
Stevie-Leigh commented:
“I love my job and I 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 works with older adults and Stevie-Leigh works with older adults suffering with dementia.
Chris Oliver, Chief Executive concluded:
“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.”
LSCft are committed to investing in people by nurturing talent and providing them with the opportunity to develop by always looking to recruit people of all ages, backgrounds and levels of experience.
