Video Interviews

My name is Kuda Chiweda. I’m the Head of Commissioning for Mental Health and Learning Disabilities, NHS Haringey. What made me decide to join the NHS Breaking Through programme was the fact that I just recently completed my Masters in Healthcare Management and I was looking for career development opportunities. From a professional perspective, I have met some incredible people. I didn’t realise the vast amount of networks and the great work that is being done right across the NHS, but this opportunity of going on the Breaking Through Programme has given me tremendous opportunities to work with people in local authorities, with service users, with patients, with other stakeholders from the third sector and with primary care. It has just been amazing to see what the NHS family has. The programme has benefited me now and in the future in many ways. I’m a trained nurse and coming onto the Breaking Through Programme has given me the opportunity to go into other areas of NHS management, like commissioning, which is my current role. I think it’s a fantastic opportunity for anyone who is interested in pursuing a different career. It gives you options that you wouldn’t traditionally have if you were following a different career pathway.

My name is Michele Salter. My role is Associate Director of Finance at Imperial College Heath Care Trust. I am currently on secondment at West Herts Hospital Trust as their Interim Director of Finance. I joined the NHS Breaking Through Programme as a result of being nominated by my Chief Executive. I passed back in 2004 and the programme is specifically designed to get increased numbers of black minority ethnic groups into senior management posts and particularly at Board level.

The current top talent programme is 18 months long and predominantly it consists of a secondment into a stretch post. During the 18 months, it’s also supported by an educational component, action learning sets and each of the 23 cohorts have a dedicated coach. What I’ve enjoyed most about the scheme is because of the high level educational component put into it, huge amounts of investment have been made and that’s a real confidence boost. Also, because you are in the cohorts of like minded people who really want to make a difference to the NHS, some real friendships have been made and it’s been great. What I would say to somebody who is considering joining the programme is if you’re passionate about the NHS and want to make a real difference in the leadership capacity, are prepare to work hard and make physical and emotional sacrifices, then the programme is for you. Just grab the opportunity.

My name is Omar Najim. I am basically working with the NHS North West as Associate Director for the EWTDT Man medical workforce development. I decided to join the Breaking Through Top Talent Programme out of my personal belief - strong belief in its values and the benefits it can offer. The Breaking Through Programme places me in jobs that will allow me to experience the decision making process, to experience the resource, the handling and the line management. All of these helps me to improve my management, my leadership skills and also harness some new skills - around thinking about efficiency, effectiveness and improving productivity. For anybody who’s considering joining the Breaking Through Top Talent Programme, I’d say to them this; basically if you are an individual that is working in an organisation and finding that the opportunity to stretch yourself is quite limited and there are no educational opportunities within your organisation or within the environment around you, then the Breaking Through Top Talent Programme is the perfect one. If you are thinking about the Breaking Through Programme, you are top talent already.

My name is Navaid, Navaid Syed, but I am known as Wade. I am the Assistant Director of Systems Management at the North West Strategic Health Authority which is based in Manchester. But I have been a Director in private industry before I joined the NHS. And Breaking Through gave me the opportunity to make the most valuable contribution to the NHS in the shortest possible time. A part of the process was going to the Breaking Through conference which gave me the contacts and the procedure that I should go through. I then did a series of online assessments and having successfully passed those, I was invited to a two day assessment centre where I was assessed by Chief Executive Chairs and members of the Institute. The support has been remarkable. The programme was developed around the individual cohort members’ development needs and that has meant that we have been able to advance very quickly in the time that we have been on the programme. If I was asked by someone if they should join the program, I would simply say, just do it. You won’t regret it. You owe it to yourself and the NHS to try the programme. If you’ve got it or think you’ve got it, they’ll find it and use it for your benefit and for the benefit of the NHS.