Louise Hancock

What do you do in your current role/area of expertise?

As the Radiography Education Lead I am responsible for the co-ordination and support of the delivery of regional wide training to diagnostic radiographers and the radiography support workforce in the South West (SW) of England. Working in partnership with key stakeholders such as Imaging Networks, NHSE SW, NHS Trusts, and education organisations I am supporting the training and development needs of the regional imaging workforce by providing access to high quality training within the region for learners at all levels of practice, including practice educators. This will support the recruitment, development and retention of the regional workforce.

My role at SWITA has afforded me the opportunity to advocate for practice educators and highlight the crucial role we play in supporting the training, development and retention of the radiography workforce.  Support and development for current educators, as well as succession planning is essential to meet workforce needs, whilst creating a culture that values education and development. Acting as a clinical expert in radiography education I work with regional practice educators to promote the acquisition of new skills and knowledge.

I currently host a Community of Practice (CoP) for Imaging Practice Educators (PE’s) in the SW region. This includes all imaging modalities such as Nuclear Medicine, Mammography, X-ray and Ultrasound. Ensuring that educators feel valued and recognised is important. As a CoP we come together to share ideas and resources, develop expertise, solve problems and reflect. This has encouraged collaboration, the sharing of best practice and afforded professional development opportunities to members.

As a trained Professional Advocate, I also provide group Restorative Clinical Supervision (RCS) to PE’s on a fortnightly basis to support wellbeing and professional development. The RCS ensures educators are supported to look after their mental health and wellbeing in an environment where they are encouraged to reflect on their practice. This provides opportunities to empower them to innovate and improve both training and services for patients whilst prioritising their own wellbeing. In addition to RCS, I also provide career conversations, mentoring and coaching opportunities individually to the PE CoP members.

I am currently supporting both Assistant Practitioner (AP) and Diagnostic Radiographer Apprentices in the region through the development and delivery of a webinar series to support the pre-registration education of apprentices in accordance with the requirements of the apprenticeship provider. Delivering sessions on areas of knowledge and skills identified by the apprentices, clinical mentors and practice educators, the webinars are designed to complement the academic requirements and support work-based learning. This digital model aims to support training capacity and provide flexibility, whilst widening access and participation across the region. Feedback has been sought from participants to help improve and develop the webinars going forward. 

Leadership is a strategic priority for SWITA, and has seen the development of our Radiographer Leadership programme. This will provide junior radiographers with the opportunity to develop leadership skills whilst undertaking a Quality Improvement (QI) project with coaching from a senior imaging leader. Aligned the NHS leadership way the participants will be supported to create a culture of compassionate leadership whilst developing their own opportunities and pathways within radiography, pushing the boundaries of the profession. As registered practitioners’ radiographers are expected to take on leadership responsibilities within their own scope of practice, lead on service improvement within their own scope of practice, and be a positive role model in attitudes and actions. These are all skills, knowledge and attributes that will be developed through the programme. As a coach on this programme I am excited about the opportunity to nurture leadership skills and career aspirations.

To meet the wider training needs of the workforce, I am co-delivering a study day programme to support the training and development needs to radiographers which will include Preliminary Clinical Evaluation, Image Interpretation, Suspect Physical Abuse and Supporting Learners. The programme will be launched in January 2025 and has been aligned to areas identified by clinical leads and our imaging networks. This will be extended and adapted over time through feedback from radiographers, clinical leads and the networks to ensure we continue to facilitate professional development and enhance the provision of education and training.

I am also a National Education and Training Survey (NETS) and Safe Learning Environment (SLEC) Champion. NETS is the only national survey open to all healthcare students, trainees, and apprentices, providing us with essential feedback on induction, supervision, facilities, learning opportunities, and teamwork they experience. It also includes questions on health and wellbeing, equality, diversity, and inclusion. As a champion I am encouraging and supporting learners and trainees to participate in the survey to help gather valuable insights that drive continuous improvement in healthcare education. This goes hand in hand with the SLEC which supports the development of positive safety cultures and continuous learning across all learning environments in the NHS. The PE CoP has already provided opportunities to discuss SLEC and best practice adopted by imaging teams and educators.

What steps did you take to get to this role?

After completing my BSc Medical Imaging in 2010, I secured a role at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHPT) in Devon which is a busy teaching hospital and major trauma centre. I quickly started to work alongside and supervise undergraduate radiographers and felt somewhat unprepared to support them.  My knowledge of supporting learners was based on my own personal experiences, both positive and negative with clinical staff, which shaped my practice. So I undertook some CPD to develop feedback skills.

I realised very quickly that I really enjoyed working with and supporting learners and so enrolled in a level 7 module at the University of Plymouth designed for nursing mentors to better equip me to support learners. This led me to apply for Charitable Trust funding to complete a PG Cert Clinical Education in 2018.  The knowledge and skills I developed through the PG Cert programme were invaluable and continue to inform my practice today.

This qualification allowed me to secure a role at the University of Exeter in 2018 as a University Clinical Tutor 1 day a week, providing pastoral care and teaching to undergraduate radiographers, whilst forming close links with numerous trusts in the SW. The COVID pandemic proved challenging and disruptive during this time, disrupting and preventing clinical placements. This contributed to the stress and anxiety levels of learners and clinical teams and demonstrated the role PE’s can play in supporting learners and colleagues alike. We needed to work innovatively and create alternative learning opportunities and adapt placement models.

Alongside my role at The University of Exeter, I was appointed as the Lead Practice Educator at UHPT in November 2020 and oversaw the training and professional development of the X-ray team and all undergraduates and apprentices before moving onto a secondment at NHSE. This was the first PE role within the X-ray modality and provided oversight of undergraduate learners and the large clinical team training and development. The experience I gained both at UHPT and the University of Exeter afforded me the opportunity to apply for a seconded role at NHSE as Regional Imaging Workforce Training and Development Lead in 2022, and later my current role at SWITA in 2023.

My professional development as a Radiographer continues, as I am now undertaking an MSc in Advanced Professional Practice, which has included a module on Advocating and Educating for Quality Improvement (A-EQUIP) model and Professional Advocacy. My next module is a research module so I can continue to develop the research pilar within my role and undertake educational research.

Following changes to the College of Radiographers Practice Educator Accreditation Scheme (PEAS), I obtained my accreditation in 2023 through the non-approved qualification route. This provided me with opportunities to reflect on my practice and recognise areas of improvement. I am now supporting other radiographers to secure their accreditation via the same route.

What support did you have along the way or would have been helpful to have had?

The charitable trust funding secured was invaluable in allowing me to complete my PG Cert in Clinical Education which in turned allowed me to apply for roles within clinical education as I could demonstrate I had the knowledge and skills to fulfil the role. Each role provided development opportunities through experiential learning or formal training allowing me to develop further as a PE and radiographer.

In addition to this, the support from my clinical leads at UHPT who acknowledged the importance of creating a learning culture was vital. They saw the benefit of creating PE roles which supported an increase in undergraduates within the department and allowed the introduction of apprentice roles as both Diagnostic Radiographers and AP’s to grow our own workforce.

Lastly mentorship provided by the SW NHSE Diagnostics team and the Workforce Training and Development team was fundamental to my progression. These dynamic, supportive relationships provided ongoing support in both my career and personal development.

What is the most rewarding thing about your role?

The most rewarding part of my role is meeting radiographers and learners who see practice education as a career pathway and recognise the role in plays in supporting learners, and improving patient care and outcomes. This is a huge shift in the perception of PE’s and the learning culture within Radiography since I qualified in 2010.

What advice can you give to others who might want to work towards this role or follow a similar pathway?

The College of Radiographers Education and Career Framework (ECF) has created a clear framework to allow individuals to identify the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed as a practice educator. This can support you to create bespoke personal development plans. Being a PE is hugely rewarding and requires a large amount of emotional intelligence, compassion and patience. There are many opportunities to get involved in practice education from being a mentor, preceptor, Manual Handling trainer and assessor. All of which will develop your skills, knowledge and attributes as an educator.

Engage in development opportunities such as appraisal, mentoring and coaching and listen to feedback provided by others. Feedback helps us learn more through reflection about ourselves, our strengths, behaviours, how our actions affect others, and areas which need development.