Accelerate

Participant

Profiles

I applied for this course because I wanted to develop my leadership skills. I directly

manage staff and I wanted to learn the skills and techniques to manage them more

effectively.

The course has made me look at myself & my behaviour and think about how other

people see me. I have learnt how to manage myself better and I am more confident

now in my abilities as a leader. It has helped me understand others, how they are

motivated and how I can communicate with them successfully. I am also remaining

resourceful and resilient in the challenges and uncertainty I face at work at the

moment.

I have shared the tools and techniques with my team so they can also be the best

they can be and so we can be more efficient in the workplace and provide improved

support to our contractors and stakeholders. As staff numbers are decreasing but

workloads are increasing I have reviewed and improved working practices to

increase productivity using the new skills that I have learned.

The course has inspired me to want more from my career and given me a sense of

direction. My career aim is to move in to a senior management position where I can

continue to have a positive effect on the services provided.

Cath Sanderson

Primary Care Team Leader

NHS England

Effective communications is vital to the success of any organisation.

Communications managers therefore fall into a natural leadership role within the

NHS, being key to the delivery of high quality, inclusive services. I want

communications to be seen as one of the outstanding services delivered by my

Trust, whether by patients, staff, the public, media or stakeholders.

A period acting up into a more senior role had identified both strengths and also

areas for my development, including how I come across as a leader within the Trust

and inspired me to apply for the course.

Accelerate has given me practical tools to improve my leadership impact, presence

and authority, whether with Directors, Governors, staff in all their diverse roles,

volunteers, the media or the public. Leadership is not just about producing high

quality, innovative results, but people having confidence in you as someone who

acts and looks like a leader and who delivers. This course has enabled me to be

more the leader the Trust needs me to be and I aspire to; someone seen to deliver

quality and who displays confidence in themselves and others.

Accelerate has reignited my desire to lead new initiatives, to inspire others and

drive improvements to the quality of service we provide to the public we serve and

the staff who deliver that service. My ambition is to achieve a Director level role

where I can be at the forefront of embedding high quality in all we do.

Chris Watt

Head of Communications

Harrogate and District NHS FT

When I realised that this course was available and soon to start a new session, I had

just taken the above post in Pathology at CHFT. I had been working in Blood

Sciences for the last 12 years and I felt that I needed a new challenge. Having only

limited leadership / management experience this course came just at the right time

in my career.

This course has enabled me to personally grow and has provided me with the tools

and techniques for effective leadership and team management. Whilst on this

course I have had a lost appetite reinvigorated and now really want to use these

new skills to have a positive effect, not only for the quality of patients care but also

to find new and innovative ways of providing that high quality of care that the NHS

so needs to provide. This course has not only given me the skills and confidence to

find new ways of helping my department to increase productivity but also to

challenge its methods and its staff that have done things a certain way for years and

ask them WHY?

In my personal opinion in the NHS there are lot of departments and staff that I

believe have got stuck in their ways and this course is just what is needed to help

people like myself get out into the NHS trusts and start making a real difference. In

the future I will be looking to moving in to a position that will allow me to help

mould the NHS to ensure that we still provide the values of the NHS.

Daniel Fell

Central Services Manager in Blood

Sciences and Research Lead for Pathology

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS FT

Adaptable and professionally driven with passion for creative communications. NHS

experience of 6 years incorporating project management, website development,

media, marketing, arranging corporate events. Working in strategic workforce

planning team, project manage/development of the regional electronic workforce

information network portal otherwise known as (eWIN).

Continually scope existing and new opportunities for varied workforce information

as a means to update portal resources. Engage and develop networks with

promotional activities with HR, OD, Strategic Workforce Planners and Health and

Wellbeing Leads.

At the start of the course feeling very anxious about talking about myself in front of

large groups of people filled me with fear. I am immensely proud to say that

Accelerate gave me the confidence and belief to overcome my fears.

If I could describe what NLP has given me then this course was the key to unlock my

mind. As a result opening my mind to new ways of thinking, with the skills and tools

to become an aspiring leader. Therefore reinforcing my desire to work in

communications.

What other course would give me the opportunity to present to other leaders,

mentors in the NHS. People are at the heart of the NHS and through investment in

staff they can develop the confidence, knowledge and skills to become aspiring

leaders in the health sector.

My main message would be to anyone thinking about applying for the course no

matter how you feel, think or fear just go for it you never know what your personal

journey will be.

Debbie Bottomley

eWin Programme Support –

Knowledge Specialist

Health Education Yorkshire and the

Humber

My name is Estelle Myers I am a Senior Clinical Practitioner Physiotherapist at South

West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, The Horizon Centre, Fieldhead

Hospital, Wakefield, WF1 3SP. I work with adults with a Learning Disability.

I applied for the Accelerate programme because I wanted to improve my leadership

and management skills to help me to lead the Physiotherapy team through change.

The course has helped me to better manage my own state and therefore be calmer

even under pressure. It has helped me to deal with challenging situations and stay

focused on what is important and learn techniques for helping myself and others to

manage change. The positive outcome sheets have helped me to achieve my goals

as they encourage a view that you can achieve things. Various strategies including

esteeming have helped me support and develop our students confidence on

placement. It has made me realise that I can change for the better to in turn achieve

better results.

The course has helped me to ensure that our groups are run effectively and

efficiently and help me to support and develop the team. It has helped me to find

new ways of communicating in an effective manner. It has also helped me increase

my resilience during these times of change the outcome of which is a better service

for all involved.

My aspirations for the future are to continue to effectively lead my team through

times of change and develop my skills further in NLP with a view to using these

techniques as part of the Trust talent pool to help others.

Estelle Myers

Senior Clinical Practitioner

Physiotherapist

South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS FT

I am the lead for bespoke Organisational Development in my organisation and my

aim is for all our development interventions to be of the highest quality. My team

has been growing over the last couple of years and required significant input and

development.

Over the last year York Hospital has merged with Scarborough Hospital, changing

our staff base significantly, and the Francis report’s findings have been published, all

of which has had an increasing effect on the demands for our services. I therefore

looked to the Accelerate course to give me additional tools and techniques in terms

of the interventions we undertake, as well as provide me with the time to review

my own leadership skills at this interesting and demanding time.

I have found the course has provided many complimentary tools to the teaching we

already provide as an ODIL team and I will be able to use many of the tools within

my bespoke work. Given that our work is often focussed on team working and

organisational culture, the impact of using some of these tools along with our own

is that we allow teams to gain insight and have productive conversations about the

things that are important to them achieving what’s needed. It has also allowed me

a different perspective to review my own experience of leadership and develop

additional insight.

My aspirations for the future are to be a regional OD specialist/practitioner and not

only develop the skills of my team but of those practicing OD regionally.

Fay Andrews-Hodgson

Organisational Development Improvement

Learning (ODIL) Co-ordinator

York NHS Teaching FT Hospital

As part of the Experts and Research team I am located at the commissioning

support unit headquarters in Bradford. The team support ten Clinical

Commissioning Groups across West Yorkshire with research, quality and

improvement projects. I applied for the programme because I have previously been

on an NLP taster day and had seen the potential of NLP and how it could really

benefit individuals and teams. When an opportunity came up to link NLP with

leadership in the context of the NHS, I jumped at the chance. I have found the

course extremely beneficial to my work. In particular areas covered about

influencing people, teams, managing change and managing my own personal state.

A key part of the transformation service that I work for is to support CCGs to deliver

efficiency savings whilst maintaining or improving quality, bringing to the table

innovative research techniques to support this process. I feel I now have a toolbox

of new techniques which I can dip into to support my work more effectively. I feel

the course has particularly improved my ability to make innovative quality

improvement, research and evaluation techniques much more accessible to the

NHS.

My aspirations for the future remain the same as they had done previously to this

course and that is to continue working in quality, innovation and improvement at a

more strategic level. One thing this course has done though is light a flame inside

me to create more opportunities to support my future aspirations and career

progression, instead of waiting for opportunities to come along.

Heather Holmes

Senior Associate, Experts Team

NHS West and South Yorkshire and

Bassetlaw CSU

My name is Heather Stonebank and my role is a Senior Psychological Wellbeing

Practitioner within the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Service (IAPT),

Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust.

I applied for the Accelerate leadership programme to learn innovative ways of

working to improve the quality of patient care, to develop my leadership skills, to

have a greater influence and become a more resourceful and resilient leader within

the NHS. I value improving the quality of patient care and introducing innovative

ways of working to improve the effectiveness of the service. The course has been

invaluable in my professional development and my leadership skills. I have learnt

tools and techniques to facilitate communication and team development.

I am now equipped to manage change and transition effectively, to motivate and

empower colleagues and create a resilient team. I have been applying the

techniques to my practice and seeing great results. I have introduced innovative

ways of working, which have improved the quality and effectiveness of my clinical

practice and team development. I will continue to use these skills in the NHS to

improve the quality of the service and to effectively lead and motivate others.

The Accelerate course has been an integral part of my development over the last

year. I will continue to flourish in the NHS with these valuable skills. I aspire to lead

at a more senior level and to have a greater influence and impact on the quality of

the NHS.

Heather Stonebank

Senior Psychological Wellbeing

Practitioner

Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS

FT

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Having trained and worked as a speech and language therapist I fully appreciate

that communication is the key to success in every aspect of life and see evidence

every day of how devastating it can be when that ability is impaired or affected in

any way.

I have also been acting team leader and very keen to develop my leadership skills in

order to gain confidence in this area of my work.

The Accelerate Programme has been a perfect vehicle to enhance my skills in both

areas of my work as well as my personal development.

It has helped increase my confidence and provided strategies to deal with

challenging situations and people. I take a more active role in higher level meetings

and seek clarity in areas I don’t understand or information that is presented in a

confusing or unhelpful way. I also have helpful strategies to pass on to my team to

help us all function more effectively.

I have improved the quality and efficiency of service to some of my patients as I

have employed new tools that have meant they have been treated more quickly

and effectively.

Telephone: 01423 553602 (direct line)

E-mail: jane.denham@hdft.nhs.uk

Jane Denham

Specialist Speech and Language

Therapist

Harrogate District Hospital,

Harrogate Foundation Trust

My name is Jo Sandwith and I am a Specialist Occupational Therapist at Newton

Lodge, Yorkshire Centre for Forensic Psychiatry in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. I am

employed by South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and have

worked for the Trust since I qualified from the University of Derby in 2008.

I applied for the Accelerate Programme to develop my leadership skills; ultimately

to have greater influence on service delivery and thus the quality of patient care. I

was thrilled to be accepted on to the course and am now so appreciative of the

opportunity.

The Accelerate programme has taught me new ways of managing my own state and

has given me a toolbox of skills/techniques that enable me to effectively engage

with and influence others; allowing me to be more confident, resilient, resourceful

and productive in my role and in life generally.

The Accelerate programme has empowered me to realise my potential as a leader,

and has reinforced my aspirations to follow a career path into senior management

within the NHS.

Jo Sandwith

Specialist Occupational Therapist

South West Yorkshire Partnership

NHS FT

My name is Jodie Millington. I work as a Team Leader as part of the Improving

Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) team based at Sheffield Health and Social

Care. I applied for the Accelerate Leadership programme to learn new skills to

support my journey though leadership and in to management within the NHS.

It is vital to me that I make a difference in the NHS by maximising patient outcomes

and developing staff to achieve their potential. The course has been paramount in

helping me to achieve these goals. I feel I have be able to personally develop my

skills and confidence in the workplace. As a result of this my creativity has rocketed

in finding ways to improve the quality of patient care and innovative ways to

positively influence effective team working and development of the IAPT Service.

I will continue to benefit the NHS by using what I have learned to empower staff

and improve patient experiences of mental health services. The Accelerate

programme has acted as a catalyst in my career aspirations leaving me for a thirst to

become an integral cog within management in the NHS.

jodie.millington@shsc.nhs.uk

07709487095

Jodie Millington

Team Leader

Sheffield Health and Social Care

My name is Julie Hirst and I am employed as a Business Change and IT Training

Manager in the Barnsley Delivery Unit within South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS

Foundation Trust. I applied for the course as I felt it would be an opportunity to

strengthen my leadership skills and aid my creative thinking to enhance my

development and, more importantly, that of my team.

Attending this course has given me the practical skills and tools to assist me in

managing myself and my team to achieve better outcomes for ourselves, our

“customers” and the organisation. Key to modernising the NHS is better quality

information and improved information sharing across care settings and disciplines

and ensure that this information can be used to enhance the quality of care to

patients.

As a team we play an instrumental role facilitating significant change management

initiatives and service redesign when working with clinical services to move them

from paper records to electronic patient records introducing innovative ways of

working. The results of our change management lead the team to develop specific

role based training for our staff instead of delivering generic training courses which

may or may not be relevant of them. Attending this course has given me the tools

and techniques which my team can incorporate into business change and end user

training sessions to ensure we empower staff with the confidence, skills and

knowledge to use clinical information systems and associated IT equipment.

A key aspiration for me is to continue working to improve and refine my role until

an opportunity arises that proves irresistible.

Julie Hirst

Business Change and IT Manager

South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS FT

I have worked as a diagnostic radiographer for 7 years now and have had a passion

for the NHS and an aspiration to have greater impact not only within my

department but within my trust. I applied for the accelerate course as I have a

strong drive to make a difference and wanted to develop as a leader and learn more

about myself and others and how to best manage and motivate them.

The course has given me a huge confidence boost and has motivated me to believe

that I can and will be an effective leader who is efficient with time and has the

ability to influence and inspire others. I have learnt many new skills and techniques

that have helped benefit myself, colleagues and patients. Techniques to improve my

communication, time management, my ability to motivate and influence others,

and how to get the best out of myself and my colleagues.

I have made many changes to the way myself and others work within our

department all of which have benefited our patients, improved our productivity and

also the quality of the service we provide.

The accelerate course has confirmed to me that I want to manage both people and

resources in the future and has given me the confidence and drive to go forward,

aim high and make a difference.

Kelly Tate

Senior Diagnostic Radiographer CT &

MRI Scanning

Scunthorpe General Hospital-

Northern Lincolnshire and Goole

NHS Foundation trust

My name is Mandy Driver I am the Programme Manager with Altogether Better a

national organisation working to unlock the power of communities to transform

lives. Our mission is to work with others to unlock the full potential of people,

patients and communities to improve the relationship citizens have with their

health and health and wellbeing services, and we are hosted by South West

Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

In applying for the Accelerate programme I had a desire to better understand and

reframe some of my patterns of thinking, to learn new skills, and strategies to

continue to make a difference in my role, in influencing effective team working, in

supporting others to achieve their full potential, and to acquire new tools and

insight to strengthen my personal resilience and ability in leading, and managing,

during times of change and transition.

The programme has been the catalyst in helping me develop; a better sense of self,

strengthen confidence, and develop new skills and knowledge to enable me to lead

more effectively and to make a positive difference within my organisation and the

NHS. I am now listening with a heightened sense of curiosity as a ‘state’ for

developing greater resourcefulness and flexibility.

I will continue to use what I have learnt in practice, in leading our systems and

services, in building understanding, common purpose and authentic partnerships,

and in how I work as a colleague and peer with health care practitioners,

volunteers, patients, people from communities and wider stakeholders and funders.

Mandy Driver

Programme Manager

South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS FT

I applied for the course has I had recently been successful in a secondment to a

more senior role and had no leadership or management skills.

The course has provided me with leadership skills to manage both myself and the

team effectively. It has assisted me to identify that in order to manage others I need

to manage my own personal state first, in which I now feel better equipped to do.

It has provided me with the confidence to challenge situations that I would not have

previously and allowed me to explore that I have the knowledge and others want to

know more about it.

I have used NLP techniques to identify ways of increasing research activity within

non-teaching hospitals and have found new ways of influencing behaviour to

engage other health professionals in research. This will eventually increase the

number of patients who are provided with the opportunity to participate in

research and increase recruitment within the trust therefore increase future

allocated research funding. It will also ensure that all specialities are providing

evidence based care.

My future aspirations are to continue to use NLP techniques to increase the

research activity not only within Doncaster & Bassetlaw Hospitals but across

Yorkshire. The evidence I will see that this is successful is an increase in recruitment

within the Trusts that use the model I have set up using NLP techniques.

Nicola Lancaster

Senior Research Nurse

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals

I applied for the Accelerate programme for the opportunity to focus on my

leadership and management style. For an opportunity to gather personal insight

into my own preferences, motivations and those of others so I am a better manager

and a more focused, open and transparent leader.

I have found the programme and its practical focus with various tools to implement

and share extremely useful. I have used the tools in various ways, for my own

development, team building and for formatting line management time with my

team. I have used the techniques to better understand colleagues, their motivations

and to continue to get the best from my team and lead by example.

The programme has given me practical tools to change my approach and ways of

working with colleagues. It has given me the time to reflect on and reinforce my

values and beliefs about why I work in the health/public health sector, in order to

deliver the best possible outcomes for the patients and public my service area

delivers for.

I’ve used the learning first and foremost to ensure I am always in the best frame of

mind and consistent in management and leadership. This is to ensure my team,

colleagues and the programmes I commission deliver quality services, both in terms

of experience and outcomes for the patients.

Patricia Muramatsu

Self Care Portfolio Manager

Public Health, Kirklees

I applied for the NLP programme to develop my Leadership and Management skills.

The course has increased my confidence as a leader and I am able to use NLP

techniques to improve my understanding of other people and develop good

relationships. The techniques I have learned have influenced the way I

communicate and develop rapport with colleagues. I have become more effective

within my role, providing me with practical skills to motivate and influence others.

The course has provided me with a variety of tools to support families to make

successful changes for themselves and their family life, using self-help techniques

which can become a way of life. I share NLP techniques with colleagues to use in

assessments. My objective is that these tools can be implemented into our service

and used by all staff to complement the Whole Family Assessment in developing a

plan of support with families.

As part of NHS Change Day I was involved in recruiting a team of volunteers to

Leeds Family Intervention Service. I intend to use my NLP skills to further develop

the team of volunteers and the service. My aspirations for the future are to remain

a part of the NHS to lead and inspire others to achieve their goals during uncertain

times of change. I feel positive about the future and the changes that are ahead for

Leeds Family Intervention Service. I now feel more resourceful and confident to

apply my skills in Leadership and Management as a result of completing this course.

Paula Hardy

Lead Family Support Worker

Leeds Community Healthcare Trust

My name is Rob Parkinson and I live in Hull. I work for the Yorkshire Ambulance

Service. I am currently employed in the role of Clinical Supervisor and I am based in

Hull and East Riding.. I have been working in various management positions since

2009. I joined the Ambulance Service in 1994 and have been a Paramedic since

1998.

I applied for the Accelerate course as I already had an interest in the potential of

NLP. I found this opportunity to be able to study it properly and to be able to link it

to my NHS career too good an opportunity to miss. My idea was that to be able to

lead and manage others, I first had to be able to manage myself. As I have

progressed and grown through the course I feel I have been able to do this with the

techniques it has provided me with. I have also used the techniques to help and

guide others.

I am able to understand my current state and thought processes and also those of

others. I have greater appreciation and understanding of communication

preferences and how people communicate.

I am constantly looking for opportunities to further my development and my career

within the NHS. My goal is to secure a senior management position as this is where I

see my future. The NHS is in a constant state of change and I want to be involved in

the decision making and to lead from the front.

Rob Parkinson

Clinical Supervisor

Yorkshire Ambulance Service

I applied for the Accelerate course to develop the skills required to become an

inspirational leader. The course has taught me numerous techniques to improve my

state; one of these is how to exude grace and power whilst walking. Through the

use of the urgent/important matrix I have improved my time management and

prioritising skills.

However the greatest improvements that have come about through the

Accelerate course has been my ability to address challenging situations in the

workplace and finding the key factors that motivate the team. Through the

exercises conducted at training days I have improved my communication skills and

ability to build a rapport with the patient; allowing them to express any concerns of

which can be addressed using techniques such as the new behaviour generator.

These techniques have improved the quality of patient care.

Through the implementation of these innovative techniques my productivity has

significantly improved as patient care is improving, I am able to motivate the team

to work through any challenging situations and have the confidence to implement

any necessary change whilst maintaining the quality of our work. It has also helped

me realise that I am capable of much more and can thus aim higher up the

managerial ladder.

Seamer Bhullar

Deputy Manager Gynaecology

Northern Lincolnshire and Goole

Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

I am currently working as a Senior Clinical Technologist in Nuclear Medicine where

we use radioactive tracers to help diagnose and treat a wide range of medical

conditions. Over the last nine years I have been passionate about producing the

highest quality patient service in the most efficient and cost effective way.

Before the course I was determined and enthusiastic to make a difference to the

service we offer without having the tools to channel this in the most productive

way. I applied for the course because I wanted to learn ways to manage my own

state to help me network, influence and become an inspirational leader. The course

has had a big impact on the way I am able to get across my opinions in senior

meetings and I feel that my opinions are greatly received and valued.

I now feel empowered to use all I have learnt to bring about positive system change

in what is a challenging time for the NHS. With these challenges come many

opportunities to help shape the NHS for future generations. I want to be part of this

process and my ambition is to become an inspirational leader in a position where I

can have an extensive positive effect on the organisation.

Steven Hill

Senior Clinical Technologist in

Nuclear Medicine

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS

Foundation Trust

I am Alison Gledhill, Radiology Sister at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS

Foundation Trust.

I am from a Nursing background where the focus is more on clinical than

managerial skills. As a relative newcomer to management I had to catch up quickly.

Having attended in-house courses which had touched on NLP I was keen to find out

more.

The most important thing I have learnt is how different behaviours can have

different consequences. Understanding why and how others react and how

personal behaviours can affect a situation has been a revelation. It has proven

tremendously useful in understanding how the team I manage works together.

As a small team in a specialised area we had become rather set in our ways.

Expansion of our service meant change and new ways of working and it was my job

to guide the team through these changes. This programme gave me the tools to

help me guide effectively and positively so that we made a transition to a more

professional and more energetic team. Staff meetings are a forum for discussion

coming up with new ideas and focussing attention on improving our service

I think we are only at the start of a journey but already staff are keen to know more

and have become more motivated in their personal goals. I would hope that in the

future this type of course would be the first undertaking of any Nurse gaining a

Band 6/7 post or anyone new to management.

Alison Gledhill

Radiology Sister

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS

FT