Director of People & Culture What’s your role at Chailey Heritage Foundation and what does it involve?I’m the Director of People & Culture here, responsible for all things people — from recruitment and learning and development through to engagement, wellbeing, colleague relations and pay and reward. My focus is on making sure the colleague experience is the best it can be, because when colleagues feel valued and supported, it benefits not only them but also the children and young people who rely on our services.Could you share a little bit about your career history?I originally started my career in the insurance sector, working in operational roles before moving into team management and leadership. Over the past 30 years I’ve held a range of leadership roles across organisations of different sizes, developing strong experience in managing teams, organisational change and people challenges. That experience sparked my interest in learning, organisational development and HR, and I later moved into those fields more formally.What’s your favourite thing to do outside work?Outside work I’m a bit of a home bird and enjoy spending time with family and friends whenever I can. After taking on a fairly big home refurbishment project a few years ago, there are still the occasional finishing touches to complete. I also enjoy pottery painting, baking the occasional cake (I’m no Mary Berry!), and I’ll admit to enjoying a good Netflix binge.Can you sum up in one sentence what makes Chailey Heritage Foundation a great place to work?It’s such a unique and rewarding place here — I often pause at the start or end of the day to take in the surroundings, but what I’m most in awe of is the dedication of colleagues who educate and care for the children and young people and the difference and joy they create every day.