Meet Itrat Hussain, who has been with DHU Healthcare since 2020 and recently joined our growing Estates team as an Estates Officer.
Itrat's journey is an inspiration and proof that with the right application and desire, that it’s never too late to change direction and make a fresh start. After completing a degree in Estate Management, she started her career as a chartered surveyor. It was a challenging job that required 15 months of training just to qualify but Itrat excelled in her role, working as a chartered surveyor for five years before taking a career break to start a family.
Itrat said: "It was a break of eight years before I decided to return to work but I knew that I didn't want to go back to my old job. I wanted to explore something that would give me a work/life balance which was when I started working in front-line support for an accident management company. Unfortunately, Covid-19 hit and I lost my job but during that time, I realised that my strength lay in customer service and making a difference to those who require my support and help. That's when I discovered the role of a Health Advisor within the NHS111 Service at DHU, and I immediately knew it was the right fit for me.
"Towards the end of 2022 a colleague told me about an opportunity within the Estates Team. I wasn't sure about it at first because I knew very little about what they did, and it had been so long since I had worked within a similar role. But the more I learned, the more I thought it would be a good fit into my previous skill set and qualifications.
"I've now been here for two months and it feels like we're already a family. As part of my new role, I'm responsible for around 20 plus sites in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland and regularly visit the teams to ask if they have any concerns. Many of the sites have a landlord, so it requires working closely with third parties like the Council or the NHS to resolve issues.
“While there are times when it can be challenging and involve a lot of following up, being meticulous and well-organised can contribute to success in working with the Estates team. You have to remember that every site is different with a unique set of procedures and owners; it takes time to understand how this works. I've found it useful to reach out, in person where possible, to build up relationships and improve partnership working.
"On a day-to-day basis, I make sure that issues or concerns that have been logged are dealt with promptly alongside long term projects I am involved in such as the move to Anstey Cottage and the installation of the new E-triage system at the Loughborough Urgent Care Centre."
Itrat admits that she's been learning a lot since joining the Estates team, as there are many different areas that she needs to be familiar with in order to carry out her role effectively.
She added, "I'm constantly learning something new about our people and our various sites and that's what I love about this role. I have to be knowledgeable about everything from the buildings themselves to the different regulations and procedures that we need to follow to provide a service from those buildings.
"I've had phenomenal support from Ruth, the Deputy Head of Estates, Facilities and Health and Safety, and Carol who is our Head of Estates, Facilities and Health & Safety, since starting to ensure that I have everything I need. No question is too big or too small for the team and I feel so comfortable to ask them anything."
Looking to the future, Itrat said that she's excited to continue learning and developing her skills in her new role, adding, "I'm always looking for new opportunities to learn and grow, and I feel like this role has so much potential for that. I'm looking forward to continuing to develop my skills and knowledge and seeing where this role can take me."