For the next instalment of our ‘Meet the IC24 Team’ series, we speak to Danielle Quigley, a Shift Lead from our Contact Support Services team at our Ipswich Contact Centre. Danielle joined IC24 in 2017…

How long have you worked at IC24? And how did you end up in your current role?
I started working for IC24 in January 2017, following a year of travelling. In all honesty, I needed a job and didn’t envisage progressing through the organisation like I have. Before my time at IC24, I had an awareness of NHS 111 as I used to work with young offenders.

I began at IC24 as an NHS 111 Health Advisor, before joining the Contact Support Services team (previously known as the Odd Pod). After continuing my work in the Contact Support Services team and within NHS 111, I became a Non-Clinical Coach. And, after some time, my role within Contact Support Services became permanent – I’d work for this service in the week and for NHS 111 at the weekend (as well as dispatching for North Essex – when IC24 provided the 111 service in North Essex). I then became a shift lead, before becoming the unofficial supervisor of Contact Support Services last year.

What I love about IC24 is that they promote from within and progress their people. I believe my continued dedication to improving my knowledge and skills has helped my progression too. I’ve recently been voted in as the ViP (Values in Practice) Chair to represent the views of employees across the organisation.

Danielle, can you share three things about yourself that not many others may know?

• My first fact is that I have a first class honours degree in Criminology and Youth Studies from Teesside University (I worked really hard to achieve this!). I wanted to move away from home to get as much life experience as possible.
• This leads on to my second fact. After I finished my degree, I worked with young offenders in a children’s home and one-to-one unit for 18 months. I was still hungry for more life experience, so I left to backpack across the world for a year. During my travels, I interrailed around Europe; went horse riding down Mount Vesuvius (no mean task when you can’t speak Italian!); visited Fiji, Iceland, Australia and New Zealand before renting a car and travelling across Canada and America – working my way up the West Coast and visiting LA, Las Vegas and Utah.
• My third fact is just before COVID-19, I started the couch to 5k with the idea of running a marathon in the near future. Unfortunately, I was unlucky to contract the virus late last year and this has slowed my progress considerably. To get myself back on the road to recovery, I’ve been taking part in a virtual run/walk across the length of Britain. You log your miles on a website, it lets you know the location you’ve virtually hit and sends you images as if you were really there. Last week I reached the Peak District!
  
  

What do you enjoy doing when you're not working?
When I’m not working, I try to switch off by seeing friends and family. This was of course impacted by the virus, so I’m happy to be able to see my loved ones again. As you can see from my above answer, I love to travel, even if it’s travelling in the UK and seeing my friends in their hometowns. I love seeing different places and doing things you wouldn’t normally do.

How has your role changed during COVID-19?
Like everyone else in the healthcare arena, my role did change, especially at the beginning of the virus, as there were so many ‘what ifs’. This was the first global pandemic my generation had witnessed. The not knowing what to expect and ensuring that everyone felt safe was obviously difficult. Now that the majority of our shielders* have returned to work, we’re really trying to focus on their reintegration back into working life and keeping everybody safe. We’ve done so well to come together and keep going through this extraordinary time.

* Shielders are colleagues who were required to shield as they were clinically extremely vulnerable.

Describe your role at IC24 in three words or phrases.
Diverse – No two days are the same, each day has its own challenges, as well as ups and downs. I wouldn’t have it any other way though. I love that this role is so diverse and keeps me on my toes.  
Fulfilling – I will always walk away from my day feeling like I had a positive impact on a colleague or patient. Even if it’s been a challenging day, instead of dwelling on the negative, I try to think of at least one positive to take away.
Ongoing learning – I’m continually learning to fix new problems and learn from them. It’s exciting to take part in ongoing learning, developing new skills - even if you feel you know it all and nothing would phase you.

Thanks to Danielle for taking part and stay tuned for the next instalment of ‘Meet the IC24 Team’. You can find out more about our brilliant people by searching #MadeToBeBrave on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.