South Western Ambulance Service celebrates International Women's Day 2024
On International Women’s Day – a day where we celebrate women’s achievements across the globe – we wanted to take the opportunity to recognise the women we work alongside.
Across the Trust, there are fantastic women who help to make this organisation what it is. From our executive colleagues to those in support services and on the front line, each and every one of them play a vital role as part of team SWASFT.
In anticipation of IWD 2024, we have the privilege of hearing from some of our female colleagues, each offering a unique glimpse into their experiences, challenges, and achievements over the course of their careers.
Read more from Jessica Cunningham, Executive Director of Operations and Deputy Chief Executive; Vicki Brown, Advanced Clinical Practitioner - Critical Care; Sarah Jenkins, Head of Operations – BNSSG; and Gemma Preece, Vehicle Production Manager.
Jessica Cunningham — Executive Director of Operations and Deputy Chief Executive
Can you tell us a little bit about your current role?
My current role is Executive Director of Operations and Deputy Chief Executive. The Executive team is currently focused on setting the plan and strategy for next year and as part of this I am sponsoring the 999 modelling work.
I have day to day responsibility for A&E Operations, the Emergency Operations Centres, EPRR, Scheduling/ROC, Volunteering and Fleet & Equipment. I am also the Trusts AEO (Accountable Emergency Officer) which is the Board level role responsible for EPRR required under the EPRR Core Standards and one which I take very seriously.
I have a number of national roles the primary one being the Deputy Chair for the National Directors of Operations Group (NDOG). What people may not know is that I am also a Community First Responder / Officer Responder for the Trust. Our volunteers are amazing, and this is one small way I can support them.
What has been your experience as a woman in a historically male orientated sector?
I have been in the NHS a long time (32 years at the last count!) and in this time I have held a variety of roles in many organisations from Acute Hospitals to Strategic Health Authorities. I joined the NHS at the point in time when general managers were being introduced and this was a significant change. In my experience things have definitely improved for women in leadership roles for the better and we see fantastic role models everywhere now including in the ambulance sector.
I am very proud to have been the first female Executive Director of Operations in the country and since then a number of other female colleagues have joined me. I lead a great team of people in SWASFT and I hope that my role here encourages other women to step forward to take up leadership roles – we have a number of other women in very senior roles here who are fantastic role models including our Heads of EPRR and Volunteering and a number of Heads of Operations and EOCs.
We must continue to encourage and support women into leadership roles as I strongly believe that when more women are empowered to lead, everyone benefits. Studies show that women leaders help increase productivity, enhance collaboration, inspire organisational dedication and improve fairness. In my experience of working within many teams, the more diverse a team is the more creative and innovative it is and the more enjoyable!
Have you come across any barriers throughout your career?
The short answer to this question is yes!
Particularly in the very early part of my career, the first and most obvious challenge was that most of the people in the room were often men and often men in much more senior roles than me. This did create opportunities for women to stand out although getting your voice and contribution heard was at times challenging.
I will also not be alone in trying to carve out a career and balance bringing up a young family. Balancing work and family isn’t easy, and this does not end when your children go to school – our teenagers need us as well! I do believe however that the pandemic has provided a platform to change this and has brought the focus and importance of creating a healthy work life balance to the fore.
One of the challenges that I think still exists today is in building a supportive network for women. We can definitely improve this for each other.
Vicki Brown, Advanced Clinical Practitioner - Critical Care (Great Western Air Ambulance Charity)
Can you tell us a little bit about your current role?
I am an Advanced Clinical Practitioner – Critical Care. Working at Great Western Air Ambulance Charity. This involves attending critically ill and injured patients and delivering care of which I have a wide scope of practice. This includes various surgical skills, medications as a prescriber and advanced decision making. I supervise and mentor others joining the service and progressing in their career.
What has been your experience as a woman in a historically male orientated sector?
When I first joined the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) in 2006, I was told I wouldn’t get in as I was female! There were very few females in HEMS then and felt you had to continually work harder and prove your right to be there. These days it is slightly better but still some way to go. It is good to chat to other women who have the perception that they can’t compete with men in applying for jobs. Used to be quite a lot of misogyny.
Have you come across any barriers throughout your career?
The main thing has been that I wouldn't be physically strong enough to do the job in HEMS. It made me more determined!
Sarah Jenkins, Head of Operations – BNSSG
Can you tell us a little bit about your current role?
I am currently the Head of Operations for BNSSG. I head up a team of Operations Managers and Operations Officers and we all work collaboratively to support and manage our front-line colleagues. I also work closely with the local integrated care system and interact regularly with our acute trust colleagues. I am currently the lead for the Integrated County Leadership Model and have been working closely with my team to establish a new way of working to support front line operations and support a better level of integration with all directorates. I continue to work on developments to this model to establish improved working environments for our operations officers and greater integration to ultimately improve the support for all working front line.
What has been your experience as a woman in a historically male orientated sector?
In my early career, most senior roles were filled by men, and I always remember looking up to the minority of women who had established a more senior role and aspiring to be just like them. There was a sense back then that it was very much a ‘jobs for the boy’s culture’ which gave me the drive I needed to progress. To this day a lot of senior operational roles are still very male dominated.
However, our Trust has many female leaders now that are certainly making their mark and hopefully inspiring more women to fulfil their potential. There are many women in this organisation that I look up to.
Have you come across any barriers throughout your career?
Early on in my career there were a lot of barriers towards women, for example, we couldn’t lift, we couldn’t drive, and we were judged on how well we looked in our uniforms. Many may think I’m joking but back then it was a culture that you just had to accept and speaking up was not an option.
I can recount some comments that are quite frankly appalling. The women I was surrounded by at that time always gave as good as they got as for the most part, we had grown up with that type of attitude towards women and had a sense of just getting on with it. I used this culture to prove that women were capable of establishing themselves in the sector.
I am pleased to say that the culture is very different these days, but I very much recognise there are pockets of this mentality still in existence.
There is still work to do but we now have a zero-tolerance organisation committed to ending all forms of harassment and discrimination. I strongly support anyone experiencing any kind harassment or discrimination to speak up by whatever means is comfortable and be reassured I will give anyone a confidential ear at any time.
Gemma Preece, Vehicle Production Manager
Can you tell us a little bit about your current role?
I am the Vehicle Production Manager responsible for AVP in East and North Devon. I provide positive, inspirational leadership to a team of highly motivated Vehicle Preparation Operatives who are responsible for ensuring vehicles and equipment are prepared and maintained to meet business requirements and national standards.
What has been your experience as a woman in a historically male orientated sector?
I would say that I have had a fairly positive experience in an historically male orientated workplace, specifically within the senior leadership team but I would largely put that down to my personality. However, there have been times I feel that maybe my opinion isn't taken into account with my peers the first time and that I need to try a little harder in certain situations to ensure I am taken seriously. I think over time as my peers get to know me better, this will change.
Have you come across any barriers throughout your career?
Having been in a leadership role in various organisations throughout my career, I have faced many barriers as a female in the workplace. The main ones that would stand out for me is the lack of role models, work-life balance challenges and unconscious bias!