I did an undergraduate degree in Exercise Science at Swansea University and then went on to do a Master’s Degree in Physiotherapy at London South Bank before graduating in the Summer of 2021. I started with Connect Health that September on the Graduate Development Programme (GDP).
During my time at university, Connect Health was mentioned often and were already well-known because of its size. I was lucky enough to be introduced to a few people who worked at Connect whilst I was studying, they told me how it was a good place to work and the opportunities available. This led me to apply, and I’ve never looked back since!
I was excited to dip my toe into new areas of the business
After about a year at Connect I moved into a senior role at Hammersmith and Fulham and then at the end of 2022 I was seconded to the Oxfordshire service with the service mobilisation team. I offered support to the clinicians and supported the overall service delivery as we were starting out in the area.
That led to me taking on the role of team lead in Oxfordshire in March 2023 when I took on a split role between this and my original senior MSK clinician role in Hammersmith and Fulham.
In my new role, I am able to create better outcomes for colleagues and patients
Towards the end of 2024, I started in my new role as Service Transition Manager. In this role, I’m able to have an impact on more people. Something that really attracted me to this role was being able to get involved in bigger projects and bigger decisions.
Cora recognises abilities and strengths, and opportunities stem from that
When I initially joined Cora, the fact that it was so forward thinking and dynamic really appealed to me. The flexibility and opportunities it offered were so much better than the other paths I could have taken.
I’ve been able to try new things and widen my skill set in different settings, which I don’t think I would have been able to elsewhere.
One of the best things about being part of Cora is the people
I’m a real people person and I thrive on being around people and learning from them. I’ve been lucky enough to work alongside, line manage and be line managed by some amazing colleagues. I’ve progressed quite quickly since being at Cora and I honestly think that is because of the environment and support.
Being part of such wonderful teams has a positive impact and I hope to keep contributing whatever way I can to those teams, to give other people the same chances that I had.
Connect Health is not a ‘one size fits all’ organisation
We have lots of people from different backgrounds, in different circumstances, all contributing and improving the lives of our patients.
Connect creates an environment where it’s a good thing to have ambitions to do new things and to try new things.
Giving people the best chance to do well and succeed is really important to me
Working at Connect Health is very rewarding. I’ve had some amazing line managers who have helped me to grow and develop. When I first joined as a graduate, my manager couldn’t have been more supportive, understanding and encouraging. She’s been absolutely fantastic and I owe her a great deal.
Probably one of the worst things about moving to my new job is that I won’t be working with her as much anymore but, in contrast, as a line manager myself now, I am able to work with people who are at all different levels of their career and watch them grow.
There’s a really long list of colleagues who have been super supportive and encouraging
I’ve had clinical mentors and more recently I’ve started chatting to Mike Barker as part of the Senior Leadership Team Mentoring Programme. Those mentoring opportunities are very powerful and useful.
Winning the Rising Star Award at the Connect Health Colleague Excellence Awards in 2023 was really pleasing and quite unexpected
To be recognised by my peers, and also to be selected from the huge pool of talent we have at Connect, was an honour. I hope all of the teams and individuals I have worked with take as much pride in me receiving this award as I do as without them it certainly wouldn’t have been possible.
It’s no secret that Connect Health is an organisation that is continuously growing
Hopefully we’re going to be welcoming new services and lots of new colleagues to the business over the next year or two. So being one of the people to welcome them in and trying to make that experience smoother for them is something that I’ll really enjoy.