Meet the team

I am the Deputy Service Manager responsible for overseeing the operation of the service and managing projects to support employee wellbeing for our partner organisations across Dorset. I have been working in Dorset Healthcare and the Here For Each Other service since it started at the beginning of 2021. I also worked in the NHS in Hertfordshire before I relocated to Dorset couple of years ago. My background in health and wellbeing has involved managing programmes at local and national level through to consultancy, corporate wellness, fitness and nutrition and psychology.

I love being outdoors whenever I can and enjoy running, cycling, yoga and paddleboarding. Sport and fitness has always been a big part of my life and I enjoy the social aspect as much as getting outdoors in the fresh air and trying new things. I am a keen runner and like to get my trainers on for anything from parkrun to 10K or ultra-distances. This winter I started cold water swimming which is absolutely exhilarating and makes for an amazing start to the day!

I originally commenced my career in the NHS back in 2000 working within Personnel (what is now Human Resources) for Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

Since moving to Bournemouth in 2007 I have undertaken a variety of roles within the Royal Bournemouth Hospital. Since September 2020 I have been employed as a Project Manager within the Medical Staffing Systems Programme for Our Dorset ICS. Throughout the third wave of Covid I was asked to assist in project managing the establishment of the Here For Each Other Service, something which I felt privileged to do and passionate about. I now continue to support the service since it went live in January as the Interim Service Manager.

A person’s wellbeing can have a huge impact on their overall health and enjoyment of life. We owe it to ourselves and our staff to be able to provide the support and tools to get the most out of both our working and home life.

Since December I have started running again as I find exercise really helps my stress levels and general wellbeing. I also have a very large fluffy dog which makes sure I get out of the house and go for a walk every day.

I had previously worked for the Trust for 27 years in learning disabilities then CAMHS.  I was co-located with social care teams working in adoption and fostering, and before that in primary care.

Wellbeing is important because care and health workers tend to look after others better than we do ourselves.  My experience of workers across these organisations is that they work hard, in difficult circumstances sometimes, doing more than their contracted hours, so we need to look after them.

I swim in the sea and am training for the Pier to Pier swim in July which was cancelled last year. I love being with my friends and family, cooking and baking for them.  Recently I started to lose myself in some impossible whimsical jigsaw puzzles.

I'm a Clinical Psychology Masters student, currently researching trajectories of mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wellbeing is important as it helps to build resilience to cope with life’s hurdles and to adapt during times of hardship. By acknowledging and reflecting on your own strengths and abilities, you’re able to live life to the fullest and feel your best.

To look after my own wellbeing, at the start of each month I like to spend time setting personal and professional goals for myself. I then reflect on these at the end of the month to see what I have achieved, what I have learnt, and what I can do differently in the future. This ultimately allows me to stay focussed, motivated and aligned with my values.

Setting up our Staff Wellbeing Service, informally over the past year through Covid and now on a stronger well-funded footing, has been a labour of love! Public sector staff, including those working with the NHS, put so much of themselves into uplifting the health and wellbeing of the people they serve, often by putting their own needs on the backburner. It is a pleasure and a privilege to do all that we can to ensure their physical, mental and emotional wellbeing, either by providing interventions ourselves or by signposting them to others as needed.

As the Professional Lead for Psychology and Psychological Therapies for Dorset HealthCare and the Clinical Lead for the Dorset Pain Management Service, it has been a joy to work with our staff as well as members of the public over many decades to ensure that we provide the best services we possibly can in Dorset at the cutting edge of innovative healthcare. I have spent a lifetime advocating for and empowering the silent sufferers of society and currently, with all that staff are doing with through the pandemic, it is an honour to support those who are supporting others, selflessly and often, despite considerable cost to their own health.

For my own wellbeing … I always have a book on the boil and as a recital pianist in a former lifetime, music provides me with emotional sustenance in a variety of ways – my poor family knows how I’m feeling from the way I bang the ivories! Through the past year, I’ve really thrived on using online forums to connect with friends and family all over the world and while I can’t wait to see them in person, sharing a coffee and a laugh … or bingo … or faith events … or escape rooms! … has given me love, strength and perspective when I’ve needed it the most.

I am a Health and Wellbeing Coach and I specialise in Positive Psychology Coaching. I have been in the NHS for almost a year but have been Coaching for 25 years. I am really interested in Resilience, in particular, how we manage our mindset and emotions, how we manage problems that arise, and how we manage our own physiology. How we manage our boundaries too! They are all interconnected! Resilience isn’t about constantly running at a wall with your head down – it’s also about recovery time to enable you to continue doing what you do well.

I LOVE to dance, it’s my happy place! I have also practiced yoga for around 30 years and hope to one day get good at it! I love the way that yoga is different every session depending on what your body allows you to do on any given day. Regularly tuning into your body and your needs is really key to wellbeing.