“I feel at the heart of the team,” says agency Clinical Nurse Specialist, Kirsty
Fresh from being nominated as Star of the Month at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Trust, we catch up with Clinical Nurse Specialist, Kirsty Phillips. In a heartfelt account, she shares her experience of moving into an agency role and what it’s like to work for the young person’s mental health service, Forward Thinking Birmingham.
What is your current role, and where are you located?
Sure. I'm a Clinical Nurse Specialist with Forward Thinking Birmingham, although my formal job title is Clinical Team Manager.
I specialise in mental health, working with young people. Forward Thinking Birmingham's quite different to other NHS trusts. Most trusts have separate mental health services for children (0-18 years) and adults, but so many people get lost in the transition from adolescence to adulthood. That’s why we work differently. We recognise that because of how that brain develops, it’s far more beneficial to treat and care for patients up to the age of 25.
How long have you been working there as an agency nurse?
I started at Forward Thinking Birmingham as an agency Senior Triage Clinician with Sanctuary Personnel in October 2021. There was a moment when I briefly moved to another trust as a permanent therapist, but the role did not suit me in the way that I had hoped. So, I came back to Forward Thinking Birmingham as a locum clinical nurse, which is absolutely the place I wish to stay forever. It’s where I am meant to be.
Could you provide a quick career summary to date?
I've been a mental health nurse for nearly eight years. I started working in the independent sector, mostly within inpatient services. After some time, I moved across to working with young people and trained as a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist before returning to inpatient care.
By the time I saw an agency position advertised, I had already gained a well-rounded experience. I had worked for places where I felt valued and somewhere I had felt less so. It was by pure chance that I saw Ziggy's (my Sanctuary consultant) post on LinkedIn. I could immediately see that my skills would be a good match. I was keen to give it a go and see what happens. I am so glad that I did because it is my absolute dream job in terms of the type and pace of the work. To be honest, when I met Ziggy, I felt like being an agency mental health nurse was just meant to be. We've become good friends, and he isn't even paying me to be!
I'd never been an agency nurse before. I had some questions about the unknown; “Where am I going to be sent? And What am I going to be doing?”. I just felt like I was ready. I needed to throw myself into something and the opportunity was just perfect.
What do you enjoy most about being a mental health nurse?
I am fascinated by the brain. As a Clinical Nurse Specialist, it’s clinically interesting and vital to my role to understand how the brain can make people do the most extreme things. With this understanding, I like to help young people experiencing psychotic delusions and other serious mental health challenges feel valued and cared for. This is what appealed about the job in the first place. I loved that I would be making constant connections with people. It was a big change from my previous practice. And it suits me to the ground, which is just so nice. Some people prefer face-to-face contact, something they can do at a slower pace, whereas this team is very fast-paced. We're processing referrals day in, day out. There are 20 plus staff who bring their best every day. It’s always different, it's always busy, and it's always exciting. It's just brilliant.
Could you tell us about your recent Star of the Month award nomination?
Since I've come back into more of a team management role, my job now is to look after the more junior staff, develop them, and monitor their work. Within a few weeks of returning to the service, I set up a supervision schedule, teaching junior members of staff about certain conditions such as psychosis and eating disorders and how to manage those types of referrals. That’s why I was nominated as Star of the Month. I was keen to develop individual clinicians and the service.
I'm currently supporting one of the junior staff with creating an audit tool for suicidality in Birmingham, so we've been reviewing a lot of the presentations. Self-harm and suicide among young people will be developed into an audit tool to change how we work through the Trust. I’ve not developed it, but I've been there every step with the person doing it. I’m there to guide and mentor them in the approach.
Do you remember what drew you to Sanctuary in the first place?
From the offset, Ziggy provided me with immediate support. He was so responsive. I was applying for jobs with other agencies on Indeed and I wasn’t hearing back from anyone. Then I got in touch with Sanctuary. Within half an hour, Ziggy was phoning me, getting to know me, sorting out all my paperwork. It couldn't have been any quicker. He just really went for it, and it made me feel so supported.
He guided me through the interview process and was relentless in chasing the manager to get me on board. Going the extra mile with all those little things, I really appreciated it.
What's so special about where you work?
It’s very supportive and collaborative. You know everyone's got their own cases to be getting on with that they're responsible for, but no one is ever too busy to help. It really is like a family here. I’ve got so many people I count on, and you're never on your own with anything.
How valued do you feel as an agency nurse?
I don't feel any different to anybody who's in a permanent role. I was really worried about that when I started. I thought I might feel like someone on the outside or like I was just there just to fill a gap, and it's not like that at all. I feel at the heart of the team. I've never felt any different to permanent members of the team, which is fantastic.
If you were to describe Sanctuary to another nurse, what would you say?
Sanctuary is beyond anything else. It’s their level of professionalism, care, and getting-to-know-you that really matters. At other agencies, it can be a bit like, “Here’s your shift”, and that’s it. With Sanctuary, everything just feels like a normal job. I just happened to get paid weekly; that's the main difference.
What do you do to balance work and life?
I have 3 chihuahuas who basically take up all my free time. One is tattooed on my arm. The other two will eventually be added. I also have a giant cat, which is bigger than my dogs. My wife and I like to get out in the open and go for long walks, which is great for my own mental health, as is listening to podcasts. I’m also big into fitness, which my job allows because I can clock-off and not think too much about my workload.
Where do you see yourself in 3-5 years? What's next?
I'd like to still be here. This is the place that fulfils me. I have no intention of being anywhere else. Had I not seen Ziggy’s post, I’d be telling you a completely different story. I have been really fortunate with how things have turned out.
