Associates' network

Chair: Chris Richards

I am a physiotherapy assistant practitioner, and I have been working in Hywel Dda University Health Board for seven years in the community physiotherapy team. For the past year, I have been in a part-time secondment as a therapy assistant practitioner in a virtual service for prostate cancer.

Before working in the NHS, I spent almost a decade in the fitness and leisure industry, where I trained and examined lifeguards. I qualified as a personal trainer and nutritional adviser as well as being a national exercise referral instructor. I also undertook roles connected to managing a centre.

Three years ago, I was a founding member of the CSP Support Worker Reference Group, which aimed to highlight and develop the support worker role, and I am very proud of the achievements made during this time.

I am extremely excited to have been chosen as the chair for the newly developed Associates' network, and truly hope that people will believe in the vision we have as a network, to promote equity, diversity, inclusivity and belonging within the CSP and among support workers, highlighting and contributing to the development of the physiotherapy support worker role.

Vice-chair: Robert Minter

I have been a therapy assistant at the Hull University Teaching Hospitals (HUTH) NHS Trust for the past eight years. I was previously in a seconded role as an allied health professionals support worker lead for six months. I am also the associate representative for the ARC agenda committee, a workplace steward and a representative for the Yorkshire and Humber Network.

Before coming into the NHS, I was a security guard/door supervisor working around the country at various events such as the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, Commonwealth Games, and Glastonbury Festival to name a few.

About three years ago I was approached by the CSP to join the Support Worker Reference Group, and as a founding member, it was amazing to see how far we progressed and evolved over this time. My aim is for this to continue with the newly formed Associates' network and my role as vice-chair.

Remember: support workers, unregistered but not unqualified.

• Twitter – @robminter

Secretary: Emma Jackson

I am a stroke rehab physio assistant in the Regional Acute Stroke Unit in the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast. I have been working here for three years and find it the most rewarding and fulfilling role; it is my calling.

I work with patients in their acute and medium-term rehabilitation stages, assisting in retraining mobility, balance, motor skills, sensory rehab and overall regeneration of ability. I also provide all the admin support for our team – equipment, paperwork, measuring and fitting orthotics.

I joined the CSP in 2021 and became the Northern Ireland member of the Support Worker Reference Group. We have now formed the Associates' network and I am incredibly proud to be part of this group of experienced and talented people as we pioneer and advocate for the development of our roles. I sit on the CSP Northern Ireland Board as the associate board member, representing support staff/physio assistants across the province. I was part of a piece of work in the CSP to engage support workers from across Northern Ireland. This has successful in helping me to create links with colleagues in other trusts, and find out what support workers want to see in terms of career development prospects.

Learning and development lead: Gemma Hawtin

I am Gemma Hawtin and I work as a Community Paediatric Physiotherapy Assistant with the Integrated Children’s Additional Needs Service (ICAN) at Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust

We work with children and young people aged 0-19 who have difficulties or a disability which impacts upon their movement and makes their daily participation in activities difficult. The children we support have a long term neurological or developmental condition.

I graduated from university with a Sport Development with Physical Education degree. Before I worked in the NHS I worked as a sport development officer, playworker and teaching assistant – all skills that have been transferable. 

I started my NHS career at Leeds Teaching Hospitals working on Major Trauma Ward later going on to Airedale Hospital working in Bingley Canalside in the MSK outpatients department until I came back to Leeds working in the community, I’ve now been in the NHS 10 years this year. 

The experiences I have had working for three trusts in a range of different areas will help me with this role as I have learnt so much from working in many different areas.

I support physiotherapists with annual assessments; we speak with families, plan and arrange assistant blocks for the physios; and now including the wheelchair skills sessions, which is something I feel like a legacy will be left as this was not in the service when I started. We won an Advancing Healthcare Award in 2020 for the project, not just the category but overall. This year I went down to London to inspire more to apply at the awards.

We also assist with Aquatics, Rebound and Land sessions, assist with orthotics clinics, service improvement and working as a team for student placement. We visit schools, homes and health centres and every day is different. 

I have been a member of the CSP since 2020. Until then I didn’t know of any associate network so to be part of the leadership team as communications officer is something I am very proud of. 

I feel I am an influencer within my networks, not only with support workers but the wider networks I can use my skills in the communications team and keep raising the profile of the network and what the CSP can do to assist unregistered members develop and pursue their own dreams. We can all be leaders – some of us just don’t know it yet. We can also be the best we can be.  #StrongerTogether

I volunteer with Physiotalk on Twitter, which hosts a tweetchat every other week, and I support and host these. This has been great for my development as enjoy joining in and networking with other like-minded people on a variety of subjects within physiotherapy. I also join in many other tweetchats as you can learn so much from others and take it to your own workplace.  A community of people who can share and learn together. 

Communications officer: Mark Hennessey

I am a Physiotherapy TI within the Neuro/Elderly team at Northumbria Healthcare Foundation Trust. I have worked within physiotherapy for just over two years having previously worked for 13 years as a sport and exercise instructor for a mental health trust, also in the North East of England.

My current role is based on an elderly inpatient rehab ward at Blyth Community Hospital in South East Northumberland, although I do also dot around and help out on orthopaedic/trauma wards when the opportunity arises.

I’m a huge advocate of the Moving Medicine initiative, and was influential in establishing an ‘Active Ward’ ethos on the ward I worked on while working at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle.

Away from work and of course my family, my passion is sport and alongside my day-to-day job I have been involved with coaching rugby league for over 10 years, most recently working with the Scotland National setup and Newcastle Thunder RLFC. As well as my coaching qualifications, I also completed qualifications in PT and exercise referral.

I joined the CSP in 2021 and have been a avid supporter and proud member ever since. When the opportunity arose to be more involved with the CSP I was excited to throw my hat into the ring, and then completely overwhelmed to be selected to represent my support worker peers. I hope to give you all the best representation I can from an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion point of view, as well as assist the rest of the leadership team to make our new network a roaring success.