Nurse wins an award for helping rough sleepers

Complex care nurse Claire Knight has won an award for her work to improve the health of homeless people.

Claire was a winner in Kent Housing Group’s annual Excellence Awards and was nominated by staff at Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, after working closely with them to provide a health and wellbeing service for rough sleepers.

Claire and Stephanie Rhodes, Head of Service, Long Term Services West Kent at KCHFT, ran the project to tackle health inequalities experienced by homeless people, as they can be reluctant to access mainstream help for their health. The project involved taking healthcare to hostels and a day centre, working with other health and wellbeing organisations.

Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council colleagues, who nominated Claire, said she had ‘unwavering commitment to improving the lives of this otherwise excluded group’.