#PeopleMatter: What drives our Hotel Services team?
In our recent interview with Kevin Chidlow; Category Tower Director for NHS Supply Chain: Hotel Services, he said “NOE CPC being an NHS organisation is really important. Unlike other providers there are no distractions about shareholder focus and everything we deliver in gain share goes back into the NHS. That drives me, it drives the team and it makes us different. People stay at NOE CPC because we have that shared desire and understanding that we are contributing to something more meaningful.”
We thought we'd test this with the team directly and find out what brought them to NOE CPC and what motivates them to stay:
Simon Pugh, Senior Implementation and Adoption Manager
“I joined NOE CPC and the Category Tower team in January 2019 after previously working for the Yorkshire Sport Foundation for 11 years. I enjoy my role because of its variation, and have a great appreciation in knowing the work we do has a direct impact on NHS Trusts. All whilst working in a really supportive environment. My role entails presenting opportunities to NHS Trusts and gathering customer insight to be a conduit between our procurement team and end-users.
“My role has developed hugely since 2019 and for the last 2 years I have been working on my MSc in Senior Leadership which I am due to complete soon. I hope to continue to embed this learning into my role, to support the shift we have seen in focussing predominantly on financial savings, to looking at the additional benefits of Value Based Procurement initiatives and sustainability benefits.
“I expect my role to continue to evolve over time, but how that looks will depend on many different factors. The one thing I am certain will remain consistent is the level of support we endeavour to provide our customers, the NHS. We will continue to deliver what trusts need, in the way they need it. For example I’m currently mapping out the new Integrated Care Systems (ICS) and have teamed up with our data team to develop an impact dashboard, which will be used across different frameworks to provide savings impact data for all trusts, to help us more efficiently identify the best opportunities for our customers.”
Emma Rodgers, Customer Support and Assistant Buyer
“I joined the team as a contracted temp back in October 2019 and I was delighted to become a permanent member of the team the following April. I love the fact that as a team or as I often refer to us, a family, we are so supportive of one another. There is always somebody there to help or guide you when you are unsure about something or simply to be a sounding board and listen.
“In my role I support the category team on Catering Consumables and Equipment, as well as the Medical Pulp framework. I also monitor the Tower Helpdesk so my role is quite varied, but I really enjoy it! Like everyone, the main aspect of my role to change over recent years, is the move to working from home, which I have now adapted to quite well. As a procurement team we have chosen to have regular set days working in the office to support sharing best practice, help keep our relationships strong, and enabling us to collaborate more easily. I really enjoy these days, and it is so nice to get to see my colleagues face to face in the office environment.
“After successfully passing Level 4 CIPS qualification, I am now studying Advanced CIPS. My hope is to progress within the team and I would like to work my way up to being a Category Support Officer (CSO) and the whole team have been super supportive in helping me work towards that aim.”
Camille Grech-cini, Category Manager Cleaning Supplies and Chlorine
“I joined the team 4 years ago just after NOE CPC were awarded the Hotel Services Category. Previously I worked in another sector of NHS Supply Chain, working with Capital Equipment. Before that, I worked in a sales role within the building trade, and as a result I’m the best and worst of both roles. I made the switch into the NHS Supply Chain as a result of the recession in 2008 and I’ve enjoyed it ever since.
“My primary reason for joining NOE CPC was to be part of the NHS. I love knowing that any successes we achieve, will feed profits back into our host trust and the NHS as a whole. We are all one NHS and I am immensely proud to have the opportunity to pour my passion into this work, and I am always striving to make life for the NHS easier, and hopefully cheaper. Working for an organisation where we maintain a flat structure is great, and senior management are happy to get stuck in, even when it comes to making rounds of drinks when we are all in the office.
“Currently I work on the Cleaning and Chlorine contracts however I also pick up a number of other areas such as projects and savings. I’ve been very fortunate that my previous roles have given me a lot of exposure to the inner workings of NHS Supply Chain, and some days feel like a walking encyclopaedia on the subject.
“I originally joined to work on Catering Consumables and Equipment and from there I was asked to work on Medical Pulp where we were able to make some brilliant savings for the NHS. Using my experience from previous roles has meant I’ve been able to bring in some new ideas, which have received fantastic support from my colleagues, and ultimately helping change the way some things work across all branches of NHS Supply Chain. I’m currently working on a huge list of initiatives and projects, each of which should help improve the customer experience and save more money.
“I’m always thinking of what is next and how we improve things for the future. I strive to support and guide my colleagues wherever it is needed, and looking to the future I would like to study towards a Prince 2 qualification to do just that. There are lots of things ongoing and coming up soon, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!”
Tim Cole, Category Procurement Specialist Paper Hygiene and Environmental Decontamination
"I joined the NOE CPC team in March 2022 having previously worked in sales team for a large national distributor. After a couple of years I moved to the purchasing team and got to the point where I wanted to progress my career. I saw this job advertised and thought it was the perfect opportunity for me to move forwards and begin a new journey. I had worked with somebody in the team previously and we had a great working relationship, so I was really happy and looking forward to working with them once again.
"My favourite thing about working at NOE CPC is the people. Everyone is so friendly and helpful, it made it really easy to settle into my new role and I really enjoy the job itself; talking to and meeting lots of different people, and learning about the products and processes to drive savings for the NHS. It has been challenging at times as there is lots to learn, but that’s also made it very enjoyable. Any questions or anytime I need help, one of the team is always there and are very supportive.
"As I have only been here a short amount of time, I want to continue building my knowledge up, learning and really get into the job role. As each day passes the more confident I get and I can’t wait to continue on this career path. For example we are currently seeing a very challenging time in the world of paper, so at the moment I am having lots of discussions and meetings with these suppliers and continue to look to build the Environmental Decontamination framework. I am also starting my CIPS next month and really looking forward to getting going on that too, lots to look forward to!"
Tracy Taylor, Administration Support Officer
“I started in the NHS at Rotherham CCG in 2016 and wanted to progress to the next level. I spotted this prospect – my current position – and thought it would be an excellent opportunity to advance. I was thankfully successful and started here in June 2019.
“The majority of the team was new to the NHS Supply Chain: Hotel Services category when I joined, so my role has developed and changed since day one and the progression, gained knowledge and growth of my team has enabled me to be more involved in so many different areas of this organisation.
“I’m an ‘admin person’ so my day to day duties are always varied, as I am sure you can imagine. Being the overall administrative support for the entire Hotel Services team my role consists of lots of tasks, which would be too much to list in full, but a quick sample would be; business filing, room, travel, and accommodation booking, raising requisitions and purchase orders and liaising with a selection of internal and external organisations involved in each of these processes. I also act as governance administrative support within the Business Services team.
“I enjoy working at NOE CPC because of the friendly and helpful people and the opportunities I have been given for a flexible working pattern.
“I have now reached a point in my life where I am comfortable to stay in my role without the view to progress in the future and I like that the team I work with and my line manager are supportive of my decision and don’t pressure me or make me feel that I need to change. I am happy in my role and my business as usual workload is varied enough to keep me on my toes and out of trouble.”
A huge thank you to the team for sharing their experience. Coming from varied work backgrounds, each member brings their own unique experiences and knowledge to the team. Each of our colleagues understand the importance of our NHS values and it drives them to enhance the support they offer to our customers – for the NHS, by the NHS.