Posted on: 21 May 2021
Over 30 CNWL staff members spent an afternoon in conversation with Vanessa Odlin, Borough Director for Hillingdon to discuss current topics such as career progression, wellbeing opportunities, and workloads within services.
If you missed the event you can watch it back here.
Organised by the CNWL BAME Staff Network, the event was a first for the newly formed chapter in Hillingdon.
Luxmi Devi Shrestha-Cook, Co-Chair of the Hillingdon Chapter facilitated and opened the event, she welcomed everyone for coming and introduced Vanessa to participants.
"We've been lucky enough to have Vanessa with us today to get to know her abit more. We'll be discussing topics and you'll have the chance to ask Vanessa some questions."
Vanessa, who joined the Trust in August 2020, is responsible for our Hillingdon Mental Health and outer London Services and Trustwide Rehabilitation in our Goodall Division.
She shared her career background on how and why she got into nursing, her time working at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and her hobbies outside of work.
Vanessa said: "I trained as a mental health nurse, finishing in 2002 and have worked in the NHS ever since. I have worked across forensic mental health services and adult and older adult mental services with several years of leadership experience.
My passion is to help, support and make a difference in healthcare services in any way that I can; remembering that making a difference in people’s lives is why I work in the NHS.”
Vanessa took part in a Q&A style from participants and addressed some topics on staff wellbeing, working environments around Covid-19, and creating more job opportunities in services.
Click here to read presentation slides.
The event concluded with participants sharing useful links and resources including the BAME buddy scheme, and the networks commitment to driving equality and diversity.