Paediatric Educators Network -Supporting Opportunities

Network Overall Aim

To allow Paediatric Educators across trusts throughout the United Kingdom to support, share and network to provide high quality education to those in clinical areas and offer support and guidance to others in paediatric education.

Meetings are held quarterly and chaired by a small nominated committee. The network aims to discuss new nursing developments, policies and national initiatives and examine how these may impact roles and responsibilities operationally and strategically. Network aims to collaborate with the multidisciplinary team and other interested agencies.

Attendees include nurse clinical educators across paediatric nursing from within a Trust or private provider in the United Kingdom. Attendees must work primarily in an education role. (For example, as a clinical educator, or placement facilitator)

The purpose of the group is:

To facilitate strength, consistency, communication, and cohesion within clinical education throughout the United Kingdom
To allow a confidential forum for developing operational, educational, and strategic multi-professional issues that has an impact on education/clinical teaching
To facilitate an environment for discussion on professional, educational, managerial, and other relevant issues associated with education
To cascade initiatives and innovations on Local, Trust and National issues
To enable the educator to feedback on their individual roles and share practice and minimise duplication of tasks
To raise profile of paediatric clinical education across the United Kingdom
A platform to learn from one another
To discuss new nursing developments, policies and national initiatives and examine how these may impact our roles and responsibilities operationally and strategically.
To network and collaborate with the multidisciplinary team and other interested agencies
To act as role models and professionals for all others both within the network and outside

Introducing the PEN-SO Committee

Gemma Williams

Hello, my name is Gemma Williams – I am a Senior Lecturer in Children’s Nursing for Staffordshire University. I specialise in teaching clinical skills for children and young people requiring emergency care, as well as those with complex care needs and palliative care. I am a registered Children’s Nurse and Nursing & Midwifery Teacher, as well as being a Resuscitation UK Instructor and Sepsis Train the Trainer.

My main aim as being a Co-Chair of the PEN-SO network is to support education delivery across an individual’s career including at a person’s journey beginning from apprenticeships, pre-registration and following on through post registration. I hope to reduce any clinical skill gaps and education inequalities present for professionals supporting children and young people. I am a big believer in partnership working between teams and organisations to promote not only education and learning, but how this is used to improve continuity of care for our children and families accessing our healthcare services.

Wendy Hart

Hello, my name is Wendy Hart. I am registered children’s Nurse and work at Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation trust as the continuous professional development practitioner.

I have worked in a wide variety of settings including, surgical, medical and theatres during my career over 25 years. I am passionate about training and developing our workforce to empower us to deliver outstanding patient care, I am particularly interested in the support and development of support staff and newly qualified nurses.

I am currently undertaking a leadership qualification so would welcome anyone’s input on what makes impactful leadership in Nursing education. I am also an insights practitioner, and believe self-awareness is a key to unlocking potential. Insights Discovery® | Official flagship product | Insights

Whatever point we are at on our career journey there is always something new to learn, so let’s help and support each other in that journey.

Louis Britten

Hello, my name is Louis Britten and I am the Head of Clinical Education and Practice development at Black County Healthcare. I have previously worked as a Practice Placement Manager at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital NHS FT. I have worked in education for 8 years before having working in emergency care and then a cardiology unit. I also gained some experience in Malawi during a hospital exchange program.

My reason for helping to start this network is seeing the pandemic unfold and how colleagues came together to support and help one another made me realise that this can and should happen more. I know the job we all do is really important and makes a difference on just to staff and colleagues but patients as well. I am really excited to build this network, meet new people and share experiences as well as highlight the amazing work we all do.

Becky Sandiford

Hi, my name is Becky Sandiford. I am a Teaching & Learning Fellow in CYP Nursing at the University of Salford. Prior to moving into this role in October 2024, I was a Clinical Practice Educator in a busy Paediatric Emergency Department. I have over a decade of clinical paediatric nurse experience and I am keen to share and learn from others. I joined the PEN-SO network in December 2022 and became a committee member in spring of 2024.

I am passionate about inspiring and sharing ideas whilst also supporting both learners and educators in clinical practice.”

Catherine Munsey

I started my nursing career in the 1980’s as an RGN and after nursing in India for a few years I returned to the UK to do my children’s nursing in 1991. Since then, I have worked in a variety of settings on acute wards, in the community and at Rainbow’s children’s hospice.

I have always had a passion for clinical education, at the bedside and also as part of Nottingham university teaching faculty. I have developed preceptorship programs, clinical competency frameworks and modules for post registration nurses as well as presenting at conferences.

My current role as education lead nurse at Rainbows incorporates both the operational and strategic aspects of mandatory eLearning compliance and continuous professional development opportunities.

I have been part of PENSO for a few years now and enjoyed attending webinars and study days. I feel this is a good time now to increase my participation and contribution as part of the committee.

Become a member:

If you’re a paediatric educator and wish to join PEN-SO please add your details to our expression of interest form and a member of the team will be in touch – Expression of Interest Form PENSO

CPD opportunities for members of the UK Paediatric Educators Network (PENSO)

RESOURCES

PENSO Conference – ‘Innovative Solutions to Nursing Education across the Career Lifespan’

The PENSO Annual Conference took place on Wednesday 1st October 2025.

Attendees of the study day can access speaker slides below:

STUDY DAY PRESENTATIONS