Nominator Lisa McNally, Sandwell Council ‘s Director of Public Health, says that Valerie is at the heart of their seven-day-a-week response to COVID-19. From the very start of the pandemic she has worked tirelessly to make sure that the right support gets to where it is needed. Valerie has worked across a range of settings in Sandwell – putting in long hours across days, evenings and weekends. Schools benefited from her expertise as they made their preparations to reopen. Workplaces have had her support when they have had an outbreak. She is also helped faith settings, community groups and NHS services to stay COVID-safe. But it is her work with social care that really stands out. Valerie and her team are always there for the hard-working staff in our care homes – giving then practical infection control advice, helping them to access testing or PPE, and sometimes just giving them reassurance when things get stressful. While every death in a care home is a tragedy, the death rate in Sandwell’s care homes has been kept lower than the regional and national averages. This is remarkable in an area with such high infection rates – and something that may not have been the case without Valerie’s immense energy, expertise and leadership. Valerie is a public health hero to all of us Sandwell. Everyone knows her and none of us could do without her!
