“I would encourage everyone to look at all the different career paths that NECS offers. There are so many ways to get involved and so many people with different backgrounds and experience which makes NECS a fantastic and vibrant place to work.”
Lucy Armstrong is a Senior Consultant in the NECS Consultancy team and lives with Moderate Deafness. She shares how her NECS experience has been, how she is passionate about accessible healthcare for all and how impressed she is with the values of her NECS colleagues.
“When I was nine months old, I was diagnosed as partially Deaf. Although I have faced some barriers along the way, I have been provided with many opportunities throughout my life. During my teenage years, I became passionate about advocating for accessible healthcare. This involved campaigning for the introduction of screens in waiting rooms so that Deaf patients didn’t miss the call for their appointment, looking at Deaf awareness training for medical practitioners and introducing other initiatives around accessibility. I have also been part of successful campaigns around period poverty and girls’ rights issues. Being a campaigner and advocate is a massive part of who I am, as well as my Deafness.
“I have been part of the London Consultancy team for over a year. It is rapidly growing, so I feel I joined the team at a really exciting time.
“Before joining NECS, I had already been working with the Consultancy team as a stakeholder on the British Sign Language Rapid Review. I supported the team in gathering and sharing lived experience into a comprehensive report, summarising the experiences of BSL user access to services prior and during Covid-19. The project was very professionally managed and I was impressed with the team of Consultants I was working with who were really invested in making sure that their work really made a difference. I could instantly see this was the place where I wanted to work.
“I’ve been really impressed with how all NECS employees demonstrate the NECS values on a daily basis and work to make the health care landscape better for everyone. My main role is within the strategy team and I am involved in various tasks, like linking with communications and engagement, writing and preparing briefings and supporting the team to reach their vision of a world-leading NHS-wide health data research infrastructure, that enhances patient care, sustains the NHS and supports innovation.
“I also co-chair the Women and Carers in Consultancy network, which has introduced some really amazing initiatives to support colleagues. This has been a great chance to get involved in internal work and support the NECS Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategy.
“After six months at NECS, I applied for a Senior Consultant role and was successful. I felt this was testament to the support and opportunities I had been given so quickly within the team. Learning and development at NECS is really accessible and gives you a good chance to meet people from different teams and learn about their work. I also recently took part in the Coaching Carousel where I was matched with a coach to do a trial coaching session. I found this invaluable and will be looking to take up coaching on a more permanent basis.
“At NECS, I have been incredibly well supported with my Deafness by being provided with all the necessary equipment to support my access requirements. Team members have adapted the way they work to meet my needs and I really appreciate people who take the time to ask me questions, like ‘what works best for me’ to support me in the workplace. I feel that NECS is a place where you can be your true self.
“My highlights at NECS to date have been organising a stakeholder event for my programme and getting over 150 people in a room to discuss strategy and policy. I also enjoyed hosting at the Consultancy away day as co-chair of Women in Consultancy. This included a session which focused on ‘Breaking the Bias’, encouraging colleagues to reflect on individual and organisational commitments to equality and diversity. I was also proud to be nominated for the MCA Rising Star award.
“I would encourage everyone to look at all the different career paths that NECS offers. There are so many ways to get involved and so many people with different backgrounds and experience which makes NECS a fantastic and vibrant place to work.”