Civvy Life – Cath Shephard and Ian Leese
Cath Shephard is Community Manager for Specialist Services at Gloucestershire Care Services NHS Trust. She left the Forces in 2013 with
Her colleague, Ian Leese Served for 18 years with the RAF Regiment, leaving as a Flight Lieutenant in 1996 and has been the Local Security Management Specialist with 2gether NHS Foundation Trust since 2015.
How was resettlement?
CS: I won’t deny it, it wasn’t an easy process. It’s taken me a number of years to feel part of civvy life again. I kind of eased back into it. I went back to grassroots nursing initially, just to see if I wanted to get back on that particular road.
I’ve been responsible for managing people for a lot of my career. So I went back to nursing on a ward within Lydney Community Hospital here in Gloucestershire for a year. I realised I wanted to be part of something and add value to the NHS. I started to look for more senior appointments, where I could add value and bring my knowledge and experience into another role.
IL: After I’d finished I wanted to spend some time with my children and take stock of life, what I needed to do and how I needed to do it. I’d been planning the way I wanted to go and I knew which direction I wanted to go, but I just wanted to make sure it was the right direction.
Why does Gloucestershire Care Services NHS Trust suit Service-leavers?
CS: Even as a band five staff nurse, my experience, my knowledge and my opinions were welcomed, and I was, brought into the team. I’ve come from a hierarchical structure – and the NHS still retains that hierarchy. So, that feels very comfortable for me. It’s about working with a team in challenging environments; it’s very, very similar.
What Military skills and attributes do you draw on?
CS: Adaptability, flexibility, and I suppose an ability to just roll my sleeves up and get on with it, really. A self-reliance, I suppose, and a confidence in my own ability. That’s what the Military has given me.
There’s about to be a merger between the 2gether NHS Foundation and Gloucestershire Care Services NHS Trust. What will that mean to people joining the service, do you think?
IL: Incredible opportunities. It’s an exciting time, the future’s bright. And yes, it is a good time to be considering joining us, especially on the clinical side of things.
I think at this moment in time, government initiatives are all gearing towards increasing awareness of mental health. Now is the time as I said, especially if you’re on the clinical side of things because there’s going to be so much opportunity. We’re always on the lookout for good quality nursing staff and anybody with a Military background is going to have the essentials and an awful lot of life experience to bring to the job.
CS: Yes, we’ll be able to better support our patients because of improved communication and liaison between mental and physical health.
What’s your advice for Service-leavers?
CS: I think it’s to be patient, really. You can’t expect just to stop being one thing one
Gloucestershire Care Services NHS Trust signed the Armed Forces Covenant in 2017.
