Menu
What's it like to work in our contact centres?

Meet Our People: Kerry Jones

Thriving at HUC

Kerry joined HUC six years ago as a Health Advisor in Hertfordshire. She was drawn to HUC after having her second son and to the flexibility the job offered. She had worked as a recruitment consultant previously, but with two young children, this was no longer feasible.

“When I started at HUC, I was only working evenings, which helped me manage work, childcare and family life,” she says. “Working in the health sector felt like a breath of fresh air – it was just completely different from what I had been doing before.”

And she certainly grasped all the opportunities at HUC with both hands. Progressing to Assistant Shift Manager after relocating to Bedford, she now carries out two additional roles at HUC – Shift Manager and Auditor.

Shift managing and auditing keeps her firmly embedded in our services and complements her work as an Assistant Contact Centre Manager. At the moment, Kerry spends 20 hours a week as Assistant Contact Centre Manager, and the remaining hours as Shift Manager and Auditor. “The Shift Manager’s role is predominantly Out of Hours, whilst my auditing role is only part time – I can complete some of these hours from home where possible,” she says confidently.

Kerry Jones

"It's so rewarding"

“My experience here has been so rewarding and I am very proud of our association with the NHS. I am so glad that we are able to help people in different ways, and I enjoy every bit.”

So, what is her day-to-day like?

“As an Acting Assistant Contact Centre Manager, my day is very busy. There is a lot of organising and managing involved — with meetings, colleagues queries, and my own work,” she explains.

Comparing being an Assistant Contact Centre Manager role to a Team Leader role, which she held previously, she says, “it is similar but you’re dealing with issues and situations at a much higher level which means that added responsibility.”

She clearly loves her job and thinks of it as her proudest achievement at HUC. “Though this role is interim, the Acting Assistant Contact Centre Manager job is a big accomplishment for me.” What Kerry really likes about HUC is the career progression she has enjoyed over the years. “I have really got to know a lot of different roles and perspectives over time, looking at the same issue from different angles in each job. I’m really enjoying all of it, but also love empowering others to develop too As an Auditor, I do get involved in the training side of things for NHS 111 Health Advisors and their go-lives, so I help to develop them and kind of ease them into the role. As a Shift Manager, I can support them further. I also like the Out of Hours side of our services and managing that as a Shift Manager.

So really, Kerry is a great example for career progression at HUC. And it is something that is close to her heart.  “I always talk about career opportunities whenever I have 1:1s or appraisals with my team members. I take that part of my job very seriously as it can really help someone grow in their career. I’ve been in their shoes at one point of time, so completely understand the highs and lows they go through.”

And there is a reward as well, she adds.

“Staff Awards are an excellent way of recognising colleagues in the organisation for their hard work. I was nominated for the Team category last year, and I nominated both my managers (Carol and Suzanne), of which Carol actually won the award. That was very fulfilling,” she says.