I started my career as a research worker in mental health but moved into management via the NHS graduate scheme as a way to make a difference to patients.  I was frustrated producing reports identifying what needed to change but not being able to make it happen!

I intended to go back into mental health services but since I've worked in service transformation, operational and commissioning roles across the West Midlands and have worked in acute trusts, community services and managed integrated health and social care.  I have experience of working in the independent sector providing NHS services and whilst this wasn't a planned career move has offered yet another perspective on the world of health and care.  In January 2019 I started a new chapter operationally leading children and family’s services in an integrated Trust providing physical health, mental health and (adult) social care.

I was lucky enough to get early exposure to formal service improvement the NHS modernisation agency, as I worked on advanced access in primary care whilst still on the training scheme and as a project manager on the National Theatres and pre-assessment project in the early naughties.

I have been fortunate enough to work with some clinicians really breaking new ground in service transformation and quality improvement and have led change programmes using Lean, with expert guidance from an external Lean consultancy.

As a psychology and sociology graduate I find human factors fascinating and this was the focus of my elective during my Graduate training.

I am passionate about integration of services across organisational boundaries and disciplines.  I learnt a huge amount from managing Adult social care services within an NHS community provider: a whole new world, language and culture but so much reads across from a service improvement perspective and there are real opportunities to make services better for patients, more efficient and of better quality by working together.

I discovered Liberating Structures at a Q event in 2018 and they blew their mind and transformed my practice. I went on to immerse myself as much as powerful in the wonderful world of LS and now enjoy sharing them with others, which I do within the day job but also as a small sideline I call Polysemy Consulting (see what I did there?!).

I am a Bevan Program graduate and in my spare time I'm the mother of twins!