Staff Spotlight Series: Anisa's Role as an Engagement Support Officer
In our ongoing Staff Spotlight Series, we continue to delve into the stories of individuals working behind the scenes to elevate our healthcare services and amplify the voices of those we serve.
Today, we shine a light on Anisa, an Engagement Support Officer, whose driving force is to ensure every individual receives the care and support they deserve, irrespective of background or circumstance.
Much of Anisa’s role is dedicated to initiatives such as Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF), the Trust’s Aiming High; Changing Lives Strategy, and the newly-started Patient Stories project.
“These are key areas of work for the Trust, and I am delighted to use my skills and experience to contribute to the success of these programmes within our healthcare trust,” says Anisa.
An important duty for Anisa is gathering the views of our many different stakeholders - from service users and carers to staff and local communities - to find out what they think of our services to help shape improvements.
"It’s a pleasure to build connections with so many different people whose opinions improve access, user experience and outcomes in our Trust’s services. Knowing that my work contributes to these vital efforts fills me with immense pride" says Anisa.
Following engagement with our stakeholders, Anisa works with them to amplify their voices. Drawing on stories of lived experience, she ensures minoritised voices are shared as widely as possible.
“I always try to keep the user voice at the centre of the piece, so the individual becomes an advocate for their own healthcare needs. For instance, during my time working on PCREF, our focus was on enhancing access, experiences and outcomes within our services for the Black communities,” she adds.
As well as using her soft skills, Anisa employs a whole range of her strengths such as clear communication, creativity, time management, organisation and relationship building.
"In terms of my skills, I feel above all communication and creativity are essential. Whether I'm designing materials or building relationships with stakeholders, these skills are crucial to driving meaningful engagement." says Anisa.
At the end of the day, evaluating what we have done is key to evolution of our service offering. Following the strategy refresh consultations, Anisa received feedback from service users, carers, community asking whether we could collect qualitative data on people’s experiences.
Acting on this, we put together a working group with service users and carers to design this new way of collecting experiences leading to the recently launched Patient Stories project.
“Measuring the results of my engagement efforts means I know what works. I’m always very curious to see how and why experiences have been enhanced. Knowing my work has a tangible impact on those we serve is incredibly rewarding," shares Anisa.
From simply taking the time to listen to those who use our service, we can see in action the transformative power of engagement and advocacy within healthcare.
Anisa’s dedication to building bridges, amplifying voices, and driving positive change exemplifies the essence of patient-centred care.
As we continue our Staff Spotlight Series, let us celebrate individuals like Anisa, whose contributions shape our communities and inspire us to strive for excellence in all that we do.
