Senior Nurse, Lindsey Scott on the evolving purpose of the Health Centre…

There are few medical waiting rooms that you would choose to spend time in. But somehow the LWC Health Centre’s feels different.

Colourful, bright and with a supply of communal fruit that would put New Covent Garden Market to shame, the Health Centre remains at the centre of LWC life.

“We’re at the heart of the school and we work really hard with pupils,” explains Lindsey Scott, who has been Senior Nurse at LWC for the last eight years. “We have really good relationships with all Houseparents, Matrons and parents too.”

Lindsey spent 13 years in a A&E setting, before joining LWC. “I absolutely loved it,” she admits. “But you have to be a certain type of breed. As time went on, I felt as though I was managing a computer and time frames, rather than actual patients. I wanted a post in an independent school that I could get my teeth into and make change happen in, rather than giving paracetamol all day. I didn’t want to come to a school and be the nurse who patted little Freddie on the head. I wanted to make a difference to people’s lives.”

Making a difference comes in many forms for Lindsey and the other nurses, counsellors, GP and sports therapist on duty in the average week. Add to them, a visiting occupational therapist, physiotherapist and youth workers and it’s quite the team. But the support they provide is much more than a regular dose of analgesia.

“A Foundationer came back on Foundation Day last summer…she gave me a big hug and I had a bit of a Mum-moment, thinking – look at you having gone and flown”

—Lindsey Scott

“There will always be the bog standard sports injuries, headaches and period pains,” explains Lindsey. “But what has sky-rocketed in recent years among young people, is a need for mental health support. Covid was a key reason for this but it was happening even before that I would say. We help with a variety of things that you wouldn’t necessarily think of; anxiety, self-esteem, anger management.”

“As a pastorally leading school, we’re very good at picking up pupils who are just not right,” she continues. “When they start, students come and see us in September and we let them know what we do. At that point, they realise this is not a scary place to come, that you’ll have a warm welcome and if need be, a sit down, a hot chocolate and a chat. We might see a pupil twelve times for a tummy ache before they actually open up about something really quite significant for them.”

Lindsey points out that the job at LWC isn’t as much of a contrast with A&E as you might think. “You never quite know what’s coming through the door,” she smiles. “Every day is different.” Whilst the need for acute care isn’t as great, that doesn’t mean there’s never a call for it. “We’ve had our fair share of emergencies,” Lindsey reflects. “A few years ago, we had a visitor who we needed to use a defibrillator on and the air ambulance had to come. We’ve also had issues like chest pains and stroke in the wider community.”

But the key difference between life in Long Sutton and that behind the curtained cubicles of A&E, is that Lindsey and the rest of the medical staff are able to form trusted relationships that can last for years.

“Getting to know pupils is the most rewarding part of the job”, concludes Lindsey. “A Foundationer came back on Foundation Day last summer. She gave me a big hug and I had a bit of a Mum-moment thinking ‘look at you having gone and flown’. The slow-burn of supporting kids from all different walks of life, who have different needs is amazing. Seeing them go through the school and then come back and pop in is lovely.”

And eight years after joining, does Lindsey feel as though she’s still able to make the difference she craved? “Knowing we’ve been an important part of a student’s journey is amazing,” she admits. “This place always has a buzz.”

And fruit. A lot of fruit.