MIP AT WORK
LINK MEMBERS
Speaking up for managers in South West London MiP has a great network of representatives around the country helping us to make sure managers’ voices are heard at local level. We spoke to Sandie Belcher, MiP rep at South West London St George’s Mental Health Trust about her role. What is your day job? I’m the Acute Care Co-ordination Centre manager, supporting the safe and timely discharge of patients and finding beds for people needing admission. It’s a new service, built up over the past three months. It’s challenging: no two days are the same and it’s never boring.
concerns were addressed. As a manager and trade union representative, I can act as a bridge between the two sides to keep the conversation going. I’m also representing individual members now, with support from Jo. What skills do you need for the role? They’re similar to those in my day job – effective communication, negotiating and interpersonal skills and the ability to see other people’s perspective. All the union reps are committed to patient care, so we work well together.
Tell us something about your trust South West London St George’s covers five boroughs in south London, serving about 20,000 people. It’s multi-site, with three in-patient hospitals and numerous community facilities. There’s a strong commitment to partnership and engagement with staff and patients. What are the key issues affecting staff in the trust at the moment? The big issue at the moment is our application for foundation trust status, which will give us greater autonomy. We’re also looking at the way we deliver services and how we can improve things at the moment, which can be unsettling, but the unions work together to help ensure changes are fair and to support our members. Why did you become an MiP rep? I’ve always taken an interest in staffing issues and was persuaded to take on the role at an MiP conference. Major transformation is inevitable in the NHS and hard decisions have to be made. Partnership working is essential to ensure that staff are listened to and kept informed, and change is applied consistently and fairly. I can help by representing managers.
“It’s a great opportunity to get more involved in the bigger picture and help get the best possible outcome for staff and patients.” What support do you get from MiP? I went on MiP’s Principled Negotiations course, which was brilliant. I also get great support from our national officer, Jo Spear, and the rest of the MiP team. What role do you play in the trust on behalf of MiP? I’m on the Joint Consultative Committee (JCC). I got involved when we went through a management restructure to make sure managers’
How has being the MiP rep affected you relationship with the trust? I’ve got to know senior managers I wouldn’t necessarily have known before. This has proved very useful for getting things done in my day job as well as in the JCC. Any advice for members about getting more involved in MiP? It’s a great opportunity to get more involved in the bigger picture in your trust and help get the best possible outcome for staff and patients. You also develop new skills, like negotiating, which I use a lot – as a trade union rep, as a bed manager, and as the mother of two young adults!
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If you would like more information about becoming an MiP representative in your workplace, speak to the national officer for your area – listed on our website (miphealth. org.uk) – or ring us on 020 7121 5146.
healthcare manager | issue 25 | spring 2015
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