Job title: Head of Children and Young People's Disability Services Partnership
Name of organisation: Stockport Borough
Council; Children and Young
People Directorate
Location: Stockport, Cheshire
Duties
In September I was appointed head of service for the Children and Young People's Disability Partnership (CYPDisP), and it is my responsibility to lead and manage the project.
The CYPDisP is a group of services brought together under one umbrella to deliver improved care planning and commissioning of services.
This represents a truly multi-agency way of working. The multi-disciplinary professional teams have been integrated to plan and deliver interventions for the child, taking into account the range of their needs.
The new partnership is working between Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council, Stockport Primary Care Trust and Stockport NHS Foundation Trust.
It recognises the need to have effective structures in place, and I am working hard to make the best use of available resources. We are all committed to delivering better services and to achieving effective outcomes that are centred on the child. We are determined that these will have a lasting impact.
The partnership recently co-located to a main base at Beckwith House in Stockport. From next month the building will be operational, with ground floor therapy and clinic rooms. These have been planned in consultation with children, young people and families. The therapy areas are being revamped to ensure that space can be used more flexibly for therapeutic activities and joint professional reviews.
The following services will all be housed together under one roof:
* Children and young people's disability social work team
* Occupational therapy
* Physiotherapy
* Disability database co-ordinator
* Speech and language therapy
* ASD co-ordinator and team
* Special Educational Needs review team and officers
We are all very enthusiastic about working together and are already reaping the benefits from co-location, as it is enabling practitioners to have more face-to-face contact. Information sharing is improving and operational barriers are being broken down. We are steadily improving processes.
We are looking forward to the CYPDisP launch event at Beckwith House, when the therapy centre is handed over to the partnership stakeholders. There will also be opening days for members and families to view the new facilities.
Likes/dislikes
I enjoy being responsible for leading and managing new initiatives and service improvements that impact on improving outcomes for children and young people. I am enthusiastic about leading and integrating multi-agency services in planning and commissioning.
I like the impact that the voluntary agencies have in supporting and creating new ways of working in communities and developing advocacy services.
I celebrate the level of public participation and consultation by children, young people and their families in service planning and redesign.
Best achievement
I am very proud to have maintained a career in children and young people's services, starting out as nurse and progressing to my current position.
It's good to know that I have the support of local parents. The Parent's Forum was actively involved in my appointment by providing an interview panel.
Training
After my RGN training at De Montfort University in Leicester and RSC at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, I became a registered Adult and Sick Children trained nurse.
Career path
I worked for the NHS from 1982 to 1991 and then went overseas to work. When I came back I was employed by the voluntary sector until 2003, when I moved back to the NHS.
Career progression
I have been fortunate to be able to travel a fair way in my career so far - progressing from a staff nurse in 1986, to director of a children's hospice in 2000, to my current role as service head.
Advice
Networking is essential to develop both professional and personal links. It is also important to identify good role models and access the opportunity to mentor and shadow other key professionals in different service settings.
You need to commit time to meeting children, young people, their families and carers, to learn their perspectives and see things for yourself. It is vital to hear their opinions on the services that are being provided. And don't make promises you cannot commit to!
Interests/hobbies
Horse riding, ski-ing, scuba diving.
Further information:
* www.ncb.org.uk
* www.stockport. gov.uk
