Each month we will bring you behind the scenes to put the well deserved spotlight on our staff that help us make a difference to communities throughout the North East. This month meet Dan Fletcher, Communications & Systems Coordinator.
Can you give an overview of your role?
My current role with Pioneering Care Partnership (PCP) is Communications & Systems Coordinator, better known as 'IT person'. I help to support the organisation with all things IT related which is much more than computers and laptops, it includes phones too!
I've been with PCP for almost 15 years now and have progressed from a part time administrator, supporting a pilot wellbeing project, to a development worker on a county wide social prescribing project supporting mental health. Throw in volunteer coordination and then add a bit of IT support and that's my 14 years so far summed up in two sentences.
During my time with PCP I have gained vast amounts of working experience as I have worked with pretty much every project and service across the charity and worked with all kinds of different people, staff, clients, volunteers and partner organisations.
Describe a day-to-day in your role
Like most people at PCP, no two days are the same. I think that comes from wide range of staff we have, the clients we work with and the ever-changing world around us but generally speaking I’m on hand to assist staff with any issues or problems they have with their IT.
But while troubleshooting is quite a common theme I am involved in shaping PCP for the future by ensuring we have a robust communications infrastructure, helping to research and develop new systems that will benefit staff and service users and make people’s lives easier when working.
What do you like about working for the PCP?
So I started with PCP in November 2009 and in those 14 years a lot has changed but supporting people, helping others and creating positive outcomes has always been the same.
What I enjoy about my work is seeing an end result make a positive difference, I do like to problem solve as its very rewarding to see the finished project, or to see that you have fixed an issue or problem for someone or on a piece of work. Its very frustrating for people when something they have been using all of a sudden doesn’t work. You then become your own detective and do your best to solve the mystery, which to be honest at times is like doing a jigsaw with no picture and a blindfold, but there is satisfaction in fixing things.
Either that or it drives you mad with frustration so knowing when to admit defeat and ask for help is often hard.
What is the most rewarding aspect of the role?
I really enjoy helping others, for me if I have made a positive difference to someone then that’s a huge high for me. In my many roles at PCP I have always had an opportunity to help others.
It started with working on mental health services which you could hear and see how much the work we did benefitted people. You are a person that someone is coming to for help and support at a time that they feel is the hardest or they need that support to get them through and to me there is nothing better you can do than to help and do something positive. My role now means I support staff more than I do clients, but my aim is the same, help make things better.
I am someone who very much works behind the scenes at PCP and not one for the spotlight, but PCP is very much about championing the hard work that everyone does for the organisation. Recently someone said that my role is the 'glue that holds our systems together', which again is great to hear that you're making a difference to people.
Has there been any additional training you’ve done since you started working for the PCP?
Changing job roles meant I have done a number of different additional training whist at PCP. I have done mental health first aid, a teaching qualification, completed a qualification as a health trainer, volunteer support and mentor, all of which have helped develop my career at PCP and hopefully this will continue to be the case in the future.
For more about what the PCP offers, visit www.pcp.uk.net, keep an eye on our vacancies page if you want to help make a difference within the community, you can email enquiries@pcp.uk.net or call 01325 321234.