Leah James – CHS Team Coordinator

Leah James started work as a chef in the military, where she met her husband of 30 years. Whilst bringing up a family and moving around Europe, Leah studied social care and counselling and worked in varying roles involving supporting vulnerable children and adults. Leah joined CHS Healthcare almost three years ago where she works as a Team Coordinator.

Read Leah’s account of a typical day as a CHS Team Coordinator:

The first thing to say is that ‘no day is ever the same’. I manage a CHS scheme in the Norfolk & Norwich Hospital in Norfolk. The team is made up of me, three Admin Assistants and two Field Advisers. We support approximately 40 self-funding and CHC funded clients and their families each month. We also support the AMU (Acute Medical Unit) as transport coordinators for clients coming into AMU from the wider community, with the aim of supporting families to use other transport methods rather than ambulances.

My role is to attend discharge meetings and liaise with all operational professionals, including social services, CHC and hospital discharge managers to give all CHS updates. I complete daily & monthly reports, carry out staff development meetings and look after staff training and appraisals. As we’re very busy at the moment, I try to support other schemes as much as possible for example taking referrals and supporting clients and their families – this is a major part of the role that I enjoy.

Each day is different, but generally I arrive at work at 0830hrs each morning and check the clients we are supporting are on the same wards they were the day before. I then update the discharge team with any updates and liaise with the QEH hospital in King’s Lynn which we have also been supporting over the past year.
At 0930hrs, the CHS advisers go to all wards we are supporting clients on and update the ward staff of any changes and check that all clients are medically stable for discharge. I remain in the office answer any incoming phone call and emails.

Once the advisors have completed their rounds, we meet to discuss all of our clients so that we all have a plan for their needs for the day. This can involve coordinating meetings with clients or families on the ward, viewings of care homes, assessments for discharge and conversations with care homes and service providers.
I attend a one-hour meeting with the discharge team every day at 1200hrs, where all teams give updates on the clients they are supporting.

At 1330hrs, I go to AMU and ensure admin advisers are managing and ensure there are no issues.
We then sit down as a team again at 1430hrs to discuss each client and where we’re at.
From 1500hrs onwards, I liaise with NOKs, care homes and service providers and work on the daily reports to all relevant parties. I generally leave the office at around 1700hrs.

My job is wonderful as I have the best team on the planet, I work in an amazing hospital with superb people and support wonderful clients and their families in what can be a very scary and stressful time. I have the best area manager and the best job!

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