Join the Empowering Excellence Network
A COMMUNITY OF CHANGE MAKERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
Be part of a growing community of public health and social care professionals, care providers, researchers, care organisations and advocates committed to creating more inclusive, person-centred, and impactful care systems.
Monthly Newsletters – Curated insights, free downloadable tools, podcast updates, event invites, and community stories
Access to Virtual Meetups – Informal gatherings and topic-based sessions with fellow care changemakers
Invitations to Free Workshops & Masterclasses – From reflective practice to starting your own care service. A space to champion excellence
Insight Briefs – Updates on national trends in care, public health, policy, and workforce development
Early Access & Collaboration Opportunities – Be the first to hear about pilot projects, co-production calls, and research invitations
Member Spotlights – Showcase your work, story, or service in our monthly feature to inspire others
AS A MEMBER, YOU WILL RECIEVE:
OTHER MEMBERSHIP PERKS
Featured Member Contributions
Invite members to write short blog posts or submit case studies for the website or newsletter.
Resource Library Access
Members get exclusive access to archived webinars, workshop recordings, and editable templates.
Referral/Collaboration Board
A space where members can post opportunities—e.g., speaking gigs, project invites, job roles, or calls for co-producers.
Feedback Loop
Add a “Community Suggestion Box” to crowdsource ideas and topics for future content, workshops, or podcast episodes.
Digital Badge or Certificate
A downloadable “Empowering Excellence Network Member” badge or certificate for members to showcase affiliation.
WHAT’S HAPPENING?
PEN Awards 2025 – Patient Experience Network Awards
I will be attending the Patient Experience Network (PEN) Awards 2025, the UK’s leading celebration of best practice in patient experience.
For this year’s awards, I was invited to serve as one of the award judges. This was as a recognition of my expertise in embedding service user and carer involvement across health and social care. In addition, I am proud that an initiative developed embedding lived experience in Nursing Education at the University of Greater Manchester has been shortlisted for an award, highlighting our commitment at the School of Health to person-centred, innovative approaches that truly put lived experience at the heart of care.
The PEN Awards bring together leaders, practitioners, patients, and partners to showcase initiatives that transform services and improve patient outcomes. I look forward to joining colleagues at the University of Birmingham in October to celebrate the outstanding work being done across the health and social care sector to improve patient experience.
WHO IS THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE NETWORK?
The Patient Experience Network (PEN) is an independent, ‘not for profit’, service provider and membership-based network. PEN is founded upon an understanding of the importance of a great experience – whether this is for patients, carers or staff.
In April 2024, the Patient Experience Network was acquired by the Picker Group, bringing together two market leaders in measuring, understanding and improving people’s care experiences and outcomes. Picker’s acquisition of PEN builds on a strong history of collaborative working between the two organisations. The acquisition combines our breadth of expertise in person centred care and strong standing across the private and public health & care sectors.
Click here to read the Press Release in full.
PEN welcomes everyone who has a desire to improve patient, service user or staff experience. Our aim is to provide a valuable, practical resource and service for anyone wishing to improve the experience for patients or staff.
A key emphasis of the network is learning from each other and sharing best practice. Our overarching aim is to help organisations improve both patient and staff experience, which in turn will improve organisational performance.
Patient’s Voice 2025 - 3rd International Conference
Image from https://wtpv2025.com
THEME- Where’s the Patient’s Voice in Health Professional Education 20 Years On
Website - https://wtpv2025.com/
Patient’s Voice 2025 is the 3rd international conference focused on embedding the voice of patients and clients into health and social care education. The emphasis is on practice, innovation and theory — especially how education for health professionals can be enriched by meaningful patient involvement.
When & where:
Dates: 12–15 November, 2025
Location: Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Why It Matters for my blog - Care Pathway
Patient‐centred curriculum: The conference highlights how lived experiences of patients or service users can inform curricula for future and current health/social care professionals. Including patient perspectives helps ensure training is relevant and respectful.
Collaboration & co‐production: It showcases examples of educators working in partnership with patients, clients, community groups — not just including them, but co-designing and co-delivering educational components. This aligns with best practices in developing care pathways that are responsive.
Improving outcomes & trust: When patients feel heard, and their needs and values are integrated into education and service design, that tends to improve care experiences, safety, access and satisfaction.
For my reflection as founder of care pathway, it means pathways designed around real needs rather than assumptions.
Looking forward to attend -
Listening to -
Presentations and case studies on education methods which centre patient/client voices.
Panel discussions (including mine alongside my colleagues) around how to support academic staff in Higher Education to build systems that meaningfully involve patients.
Workshops or sessions that explore barriers, ethics, power dynamics in patient involvement.
Networking with academics, educators, patient/community group members, policy makers.
Awareness, Collaboration, and Communities: Reflections from the Learned Society of Wales Symposium"
Last week, I had the honour of sitting alongside five extraordinary women—each a trailblazer in her own right—on a panel exploring “Challenges and Opportunities Facing Black Women Academics: Awareness, Collaboration, and Communities.” This powerful symposium formed part of the Early Career Researchers Network Conference hosted by the Learned Society of Wales, and I was deeply moved by the richness of the conversations that took place.
The invitation came through a contact I met at the Minoritised Life Scientists Future Forum (MLSFF) in Birmingham, and then through a follow-up message on LinkedIn. It was a timely reminder that the spaces we occupy—and the connections we make within them—matter. Not only do they shape our careers, but they also shape the kind of change we’re able to create together.
This panel was more than a professional engagement. It was a space of truth-telling and hope. Each of us brought lived experience, academic insight, and a fierce commitment to equity in higher education. We spoke candidly about structural barriers, culture and the mental and emotional labour that Black women in academia disproportionately carry. But we also celebrated the growing movement of female academics who are pushing boundaries, rewriting narratives, and lifting as they climb.
We reflected on:
The isolation that many Black women still feel in academic spaces;
The need for visible, meaningful representation—not just as token inclusion but as leadership and influence;
The ways in which collaboration between Black women across disciplines and institutions can create safe, generative, and affirming spaces;
And crucially, how institutions must move beyond statements of solidarity to measurable actions that dismantle inequity.
What stood out most was the emphasis on community. The truth is none of us is doing this work alone. Our progress is deeply tied to our ability to build, support, and sustain networks that amplify our voices and validate our experiences. From
mentoring schemes to,
collaborative research,
writing collectives to,
peer support networks,
These communities are reshaping the academic landscape—quietly, but powerfully.
I left the event not only energised, but also reflective. Reflective about the responsibility I carry as a senior academic, and about the opportunities I have to create space for others. Grateful to be in an institution that champions women in leadership, yes—but also keenly aware of the work that remains.
As I continue to grow in my own leadership journey, I remain committed to championing inclusive excellence. I look forward to staying connected with this incredible group of scholars and continuing the conversation—through shared work, shared learning, and shared ambition.
To share.
To support.
To champion.
“Empowering voices are not only heard—but valued.”
Thought-provoking articles at the intersection of public health and social care, leadership, and reflective practice, offering practical insights and real-world commentary.
WHAT THE TABLE HEARD AND HELD
