My company, LifeStyle OPTIONS, provides support to individuals and organisations in order to discover their aptitudes and realise their full potential.Depending on the context, this support can take the form of:• Consulting• Training• Mentoring• Coaching... or indeed, a combination of approaches, depending on their individual needs and preferences.My primary goal is to facilitate the personal and professional development of my clients. The attached document gives more information about the services I currently offer. (It also tells you how you can book an exploratory telephone meeting.)

I offer a range of consultancy, training and mentoring services.

This is exciting an innovative project which is designed to develop the skills of newly appointed/less experienced Practice Managers and those seeking to extend their current supervisory role.

Recent Presentations include:'There is only One Chance to make a Great First Impression...''Dealing with Patient Expectations and Complaints...''Top Tips for Recruiting your DREAM Team...''Creating a Sustainable Practice - the Practice Manager's Role...''How to Conquer your Time Management Gremlins...''The NHS Pension Scheme Administration - Employer Responsibilities''Difficult Conversations at Work'

I came into the NHS at the commencement of Fundholding in 1990. This role allowed me to use my extensive personnel, training and budget management abilities in an entirely new corporate arena.During my time at the practice, I undertook a twelve-month secondment to the local Health Authority to a) Manage the Hackney Total Purchasing Project and b) provide IT support to the forty-four practices we had at that time in City and Hackney. Whilst working in primary care, I have also been able to participate in a wide range of developmental opportunities (outlined elsewhere in my profile).From day one in the role, I actively participated in the local NHS political arena and over the years was selected as a Primary Care Representative on numerous committees, executive boards and working parties. I hope that I have brought a practical, knowledgeable and constructive voice to the discussion table. I also Chaired the local Practice Manager Forum for several years. During that time, I negotiated a £250K scheme to facilitate preparation for the introduction of QOF and subsequently became an Assessor. I believe my management and leadership skills enabled the practice to develop from a relatively unsophisticated inner-city practice, into one that delivers high quality services in a well organised and structured manner. I also believe it provides a good working environment, that promotes personal and professional development for all its staff (clinical and non-clinical), even in these times of financial uncertainty.Leaving the practice was a very bitter/sweet occasion. I was sorry to leave behind some phenomenal staff and patients, but eager to take on new professional challenges.

I was invited to teach various Health Service Management training modules/programmes, primarily for Practice Managers. Having always loved teaching, this was a great opportunity to share primary care knowledge with my professional peers.The centre was instrumental in bringing together a group of health professionals to co-author a publication on Management Standards in Primary Care. This allowed me to use the research I undertook as part of my Masters in a practical way that could be utilised by Practice Managers across the country. To promote this, I undertook a series of presentations in liaison with Aeneas Press Ltd entitled 'Benchmarking Competency Based Development for Practice Managers'​.With the advent of the '2004 GMS Contract', I was commissioned to devise a comprehensive training programme to support the introduction of the Quality and Outcomes Framework. I subsequently delivered this to GPs, Nurses and Managers across seven London Primary Care Trust (PCT) areas. This raised my professional profile locally and I was asked to deliver a variety of bespoke sessions to specific groups of managers, including Quality Management and Financial Planning.I also independently undertook management consultancy for three PCTs who had identified practices that were experiencing organisational difficulties.

Responsible for course development including acquiring NVQ accreditation for a new range of courses. I directly managed four college principals (based in Islington, City of London, Ilford and Harrow) with approximately thirty tutors. A further three principals (based in Birmingham, Darlington and Glasgow) reported to me in terms of strategic development and educational standards.I was actively 'headhunted' by the Directors of this company, who had seen my work at the ITeC.

I was responsible for personnel, finance, quality, marketing and strategic development of this Information Technology Training Centre. I directly managed the tutors and support staff. With the support of the Board of Directors, I promoted a policy of inclusion for students with severe physical disabilities and successfully recruited some tutors that were representative of the student body.We had several different training streams:• Computer Aided Design (using some very early CAD/CAM programs)• Programming• Electronic Engineering• Business SkillsI was promoted from Assistant Manager to Manager in 1986.

This was an interesting, although to some a politically controversial, training scheme. I was responsible for setting up and running the Business Studies department. I also devised and delivered all course materials to RSA and City & Guilds standards. Looking back at my procurement of our computers, they were in modern terms very primitive. However at that time our 8½ inch floppy drive PCs with miniscule memories were leading edge, as were the various computer programs taught.It was during my time there that I further developed my interest in encouraging integration of students with disabilities. This led to me learning basic BSL – which to my shame is now largely forgotten.The Workshop included not only office related skills, but there were also departments offering Catering, Clothing Manufacture, Engineering and Carpentry. I was the only person with a formal teaching qualification, but the other tutors brought a wealth of industry experience and I believe we offered a really valuable learning experience to our students. We had very good examination results and a high percentage of students moved on successfully to full-time jobs. However, the Workshop was about more than academic or vocational achievement. It was also about developing their interpersonal, communication and general life skills.One of my fondest memories was taking all the students on an outward bound style vacation. Many had never stayed in 'the country' before and the first night there was quite a cacophony of squeals as some of our students became familiar with the wildlife that co-habited our primitive accommodation.Years later I came across one of my old students (now herself a parent of grown-up children) and her memories were as precious as mine.

This was a unique experience which I undertook with my then husband. We were responsible for managing the Earls Court branch of this private residential college for overseas students and this included managing a diverse staff team and fiscal responsibility for the branch.The college attracted students from many different cultures and the dynamics between them was on occasions quite challenging. We also had a team of au pairs who in those days were able to live and study at the college part-time in return for carrying out various domestic and/or catering duties. Although it necessitated twelve to fourteen hour work days, often seven days a week, in retrospect it was an experience I would not have liked to miss.If I ever have the time (or inclination) to retire and write my memoirs, I certainly have the makings of a wonderfully amusing book of anecdotes about both students and staff. Anyone who has ever undertaken a residential post in that type of environment will understand when I say that 'fact can often be stranger and more entertaining than fiction'.

I taught a wide range of Business Studies subjects to 16-18 year olds, including Commerce, Office Practice, Accounts, Computer Studies, Typewriting, Audio-Typing and Shorthand (although this latter subject was one I was very happy to leave behind).This was a relatively new school that had been built in quite a challenging area of Bedford.During my time at the school, there was unfortunately a lot of disquiet in the profession which led to industrial action. As my students were about to undertake important examinations, I held some rather unorthodox revision sessions in my lounge.Bedford, at that time, was a wonderfully multi-cultural environment in which to work and live. I became much more culturally aware and was able to take that learning to my subsequent posts.

This was a lively school with a traditional approach to education. As my first teaching post after qualifying, it was a wonderful environment in which to put the theory of the previous three years study into practice. I still believe that teachers are born not created, but the rigours of teacher training provides you with a framework of theory and a toolkit of techniques.It had never been my intention to remain in a primary school as my preference was to work with teenagers. However I was already realising that the opportunities for musical and dramatic creativity would be less than I had envisaged. Had I moved into a secondary school to teach music, the rigours of academic courses would swallow much of the syllabus, so my dream of inspiring students with my love of music seemed to be fading. In retrospect, I think I also realised that I was not as musically gifted as I had been brought up to believe. Whilst studying I had met really talented and innovative musicians who could knock me into a cocked hat and I didn’t want to settle for being anything less than expert.I realised that music was, for me, more suited to a recreational activity than a career subject, but teaching/developing others was still high on my personal agenda and I knew that was my vocation.When I was approached to undertake a brand new pilot programme for qualified teachers to re-train in business studies, it seemed an ideal opportunity to build a new professional skillset that could be used in a teaching, training, corporate or entrepreneurial setting. In fact, the best of all worlds in terms of potential.