Helen Hardy
If elected, how would you work to represent the members at the most senior level of the College?
The Council Chair provides a critical communication pathway between the executive board, trustees, student and paramedic councils, and members. I would expect to support and challenge as appropriate during discussions at board level and to listen to challenges from Council members, who in turn must represent the College members.
I would be required to adapt and respond to evolving needs and the changing landscape of the profession, this can only be done when I know who our members are and what they need. I would seek to build trust and maintain open communication with Council members, advocating the members’ interests by seeking feedback.
I would support the work of College staff that will enable an engaged network of members, and that may empower Council representatives to understand from a professional perspective, the geographical areas in which they work. We could be utilising ICSs and partner organisations to spread the news of the work of the College and discover where support could also be offered to them. This collaboration may be an important part of understanding the need for paramedics in various healthcare settings and could offer highly significant intel for work that the College undertakes on its members' behalf.
Clinical, ethical and moral discussions are most productive when there is a freedom to speak, enabled by a flattened hierarchy. Conversations between the Chair as an advocate for members, and those who are on board – or any level should be on equal ground, I would expect to listen and to be heard.
How will you use your background, skills and experience to support the work of the Board and Council?
I am a Quality Improvement and Professional Standards Officer in an ambulance service and privileged to have the opportunity to meet and engage with staff, partner NHS Trusts, charities and ICBs. This strategic view of change and direction across the region where I work gives me some perspective on Integrated Care Systems and provides grounding for the work that Congress undertakes. Continuous improvement and innovation are not yet embedded in the organisation I work in, but that is what I am striving for. I would like to support the College on its quality improvement journey, using the tools for stakeholder engagement as an especially strong starting point. I believe that the work of the board and council has strengthened under its current leadership, with the ground prepared for further growth. A sense of belonging comes with being empowered to lead and contribute to change, I hope I have given that to people that I work with. I have experience as a Lecturer Practitioner, Clinical Practice Supervisor and Resuscitation Council UK advanced life support instructor. The rewards of working with learners and peers, and networking with those in academic roles have been immense. It has contributed to my critical thinking skills and given me an understanding of professional identity within our evolving and complex healthcare systems. As a leader in clinical and education environments and as a collaborator in research and development, my contribution feels personal. Professional identity is not just about what you do but also about who you are in your profession, it influences your career trajectory, personal satisfaction and your ability to contribute. Close affiliation of professional and personal identity means that it is especially important to understand the needs of members as individuals as well as in their clinical background. I expect to take the opportunity to empower those around me and support them as they explore their identity as paramedics and leaders.
What other skills and experience will you bring to the role you are standing for?
Integrity is one of the seven principles of public life, having moral and ethical instincts to do what is right, it’s not something that is ‘switched on’ at work. I believe that the purpose of our professional standards and clinical guidelines is to support professionalism and decision-making from ethical, moral and clinical perspectives, creating learned behaviours that may provide integrity as instinct. I try to be a role model to others, recognising and declaring mistakes when I see them. I am fallible, I am honest when I fail and this vulnerability is an important part of being brave and bold (borrowed from Brene Brown!). Previous experience in pharmacies, including hospital production services, allowed me to recognise that patients are at the centre of everything that we do. This early experience of understanding a patient journey has provided a continuous reminder that as clinicians, technicians and supporting staff we all have a role that contributes. As a professional body, the College is committed to supporting clinicians to provide a safe working environment and scope of practice that meets the needs of their patients. I am excited at the prospect of being at the heart of this important work.