Meet the team – Sarah Sewell
Community Engagement Officer at Blythe House Hospice
‘I feel this job was written for me,’ says Sarah Sewell who is Community Engagement Officer, at Blythe House Hospice. This is a new addition to the roles at the charity.
‘It is about raising awareness as people don’t really know what we do, and that goes across the board, including, Health Care Professionals, patients and their families, and the public.
‘My role involves having conversations about our services, building relationships and working collaboratively with other organisations and partners.
‘It is being present in the community, so people are aware of the organisation before they need us.’
‘This is a new role, as it was felt it required dedicated time to deliver community engagement properly.’
‘It is really interesting and very diverse. Part of it, given my health care background is to visit GP surgeries to raise awareness about our services, and encourage referrals to us in a more timely way.
‘One thing we know it that we are not the first thought people have when facing a life limiting illness.’
Sarah said it was important to get referrals at a point when the team would be able to provide wrap around care for patients and their families and support them throughout their journey.
‘A lot of my role is doing the leg work making connections and networking with other Hospices, finding out what they are doing and bringing back good practices to develop here, as well as sharing what we are doing innovatively.
‘It is about putting us on the map as well, increasing our reach across North Derbyshire. The hospice is based in the High Peak, but a lot of local people aren’t really aware of the full range of the services we offer. They often know our name, and perhaps a couple of the services, but not the extent of the Community Hub.
‘There are still a lot of misconceptions about Blythe House Hospice, such as, we have inpatient beds, and that people come here to die. That is not the case, so part of my role is around myth busting.
‘I see my role about ensuring people know about us before they need us and getting away from the stigma of being a hospice.’
‘It is almost about breaking down barriers and getting people to know more about us; to come through the door in the first instance and see it is not a scary place; people are laughing and having fun, and it is a positive atmosphere.’
‘When people come in, they are really surprised that people are not sitting around looking miserable waiting to die, they engage with activities, and access hub services that enhance the quality of life.
‘If people do engage with us sooner what we are finding is the quality of life for those at the end of life or living with life limiting illnesses is better because we are able to give that care and support when they need it most at different points of their journey.’
Now in post for almost a year, having started in November 2023, Sarah is still relishing the opportunity to shape the role as she started with a blank canvas.
‘It is a great opportunity to use my existing skills from my pervious health care background. It is positive and its enjoyable. Every single person who works at the hospice is making a difference to all patients and their families in our care.
‘When you get a blank canvas, you are able to set the parameters. With my background I have been able to focus on the health care professionals. If they don’t know about us they can’t communicate that with patients.
Sarah sees her role as evolving and will be a job that is never static
‘I thrive on that as I really enjoy being able to be creative and develop different things, meet different people and look at new ways of working.
Originally starting her career as a physio Sarah has worked within the health care profession in lots of different roles, at different levels across various sectors.
‘I have had a varied and very exciting career and am very proud of everything I have done. I had reached a point where I had done nearly 40 years, and didn’t want to keep doing it.
‘All my working life it has been about working with people and making a difference.’
After retiring and giving up her registration in August 2023, Sarah still wanted to do something more.
‘I feel this job was written for me.’
The part-time role utilises Sarah’s skills, but also allows here to spend time with her family, including her two granddaughters.
A keen runner and a regular at the gym Sarah recently completed her 10th Great North Run helping to raise vital funds for the hospice.
