‘Amazing’ health visitor given inaugural ‘Ask Why’ Award by trauma-informed training company founder

Louise Hamer was presented with the award on stage at the recent Institute for Health Visiting (iHV) Hope for the Future Conference in Manchester by trauma-informed training organisation Lads Like Us.

As well as recognising her work as deputy designated nurse for safeguarding children at Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), Lads Like Us co-founder Mike Hurst selected her for the accolade having credited her with helping to turn his life around eight years ago.

Mike and his fellow founder Danny Wolstencroft both experienced trauma, including sexual abuse, as children. They deliver training all over the country to multi-agency professionals, considering the impact of childhood trauma on mental health, substance misuse, offending behaviour and parenting. Just two years after setting up Lads Like Us, Mike and Danny have now delivered training to more than 16,000 professionals across the country.

As part of her safeguarding work with the ICB, Louise attended the ‘Million Pieces’ training delivered by Lads Like Us and realised that she had been Mike’s health visitor when he had become a father, back in 2015. When she got the chance to discuss this with him, he told her about the effect she had on him by looking beyond the challenges he faced, showing empathy and being kind.

“Hearing Mike talk about the impact I had on his life has been really humbling,” said Louise.

“The award represents so much more than my work though, it shows what health visiting can achieve when it’s delivered well and represents how health visiting was delivered by my team at that time. It can be difficult to see the difference you make when you’re working in a system that’s under so much pressure and this award is a reminder that it can be the little things that make such a difference.”

At the iHV Conference, Mike presented Louise with the first-ever ‘Ask Why’ Award, telling the audience about how talking to his health visitor made him believe that he had a future and that he could achieve anything he wanted to achieve. Mike has a family, is no longer supported by services and is the CEO of his own company.

He said: “Louise not only saved my life but gave me the confidence that I needed to be able to start the journey of trying to understand myself, my own limits and what was stopping me in life, which ultimately set me on the road to recovery.

“The award is about trauma-informed practice, and she was the first person I softly disclosed anything to – this was eight years ago – and only now over the past couple of years has anyone started talking about professional curiosity and trauma-informed practice. 

For me, Louise was the first person I ever witnessed being professionally curious and had a different approach with more empathy and humility, and more understanding towards the trauma that I went through as a kid. She told me that when I’m ready to talk about it there will be somebody there to talk to. She’s amazing and her style and technique should be used to train others.”

Since connecting with Lads Like Us, Louise has been in regular touch with them and is going to be running the Manchester Marathon as part of a four-person relay team next spring in aid of Papyrus, a young persons’ suicide prevention charity.

Louise continued: “It was quite nerve-wracking being on stage in front of about 300 people and it was very emotional, but it means a lot to me to be the first recipient of this award.

“The award is called the ‘Ask Why’ Award, because asking why is a key part of their trauma-informed training. They want professionals to exercise professional curiosity in their work, to see behaviour as a form of communication, look beyond diagnosis and ask 'why?’.

“It may be that the person you’re working with has experienced trauma but not yet been given permission to speak. Nobody has ever asked them why? Lads Like Us are advocates for the role Health Visitors play in supporting parents and providing early help to children and families.

“At a time when the NHS is under so much pressure, it was heart-warming to have practitioners approach me and say my story has reminded them of why they became a Health Visitor. It has re-energised them at a time where they have felt undervalued, which is just amazing.

“Some of the impact health visitors have is not easy to measure. It is about being human, bringing your heart to work and connecting with families. I met Mike again by chance, and the message to others is that even though you might not meet your ‘Mike’, you have to believe in what you do because there are lots of people you will have helped along the way who will feel the same way about you.”