I had no career plan. Being from a working class background I was expected to leave school at sixteen and start work, which I did. However, my inner determination to achieve drove me to go to college and take O and A levels at 17, and in my mid-30s I obtained a first-class honours degree in counselling psychology.
My first substantial job was as a cook in a crisis centre for those with drug problems. It was there that I realised I wanted to make a difference to the lives of people, especially those experiencing social injustice. At the same time I became involved in women’s politics, and have been ever since.
I’ve been at the frontline doing public health “fieldwork” for many years: helping establish some of the first needle exchanges in London to prevent the spread of HIV; doing street outreach work with the homeless and, in particular, homeless women; working in a range of voluntary and statutory drug and alcohol services, women’s refuges and “direct access” hostels (in the days when such things existed); helping establish “user-led” services such as “Building Unity Back Into Community” (BUBIC) in Haringey. I then moved into more managerial roles, primarily in the drugs field, before taking on a strategic lead for drugs and alcohol in Haringey.
With the move of public health into local authorities and the subsequent transfer of drug and alcohol commissioning, I formally became part of a public health department, working with a range of public health specialists and consultants. I undertook an MSc in public health to broaden my understanding and knowledge, and in April 2014 I became head of health improvement - a steep learning curve, albeit fascinating. Completing my MSc as a mature learner has meant that I have been able to apply theory to my experience and I’m proud of doing it whilst working full time and achieving a merit. I love my role, finding public health intellectually and emotionally rewarding, being a mixture of sociology, politics, epidemiology and much more!