Improving members’ working lives

I have worked as a qualified physiotherapist for more than 20 years. My speciality is hands, burns and reconstructive surgery and I am the clinical team lead for this service at the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust. I am also privileged to be a work-based steward and I am vice chair to our workplace staff-side group and I also co-chair the north east stewards group. 

I am fortunate to be the chair of the employment committee and have been since it was newly formed in 2018. The employment committee is responsible for advising council on strategic employment matters that affect CSP members at work, in all areas of physiotherapy, giving an expert perspective on employment issues. This sounds fancy but I like to think

I am part of helping the CSP improve working lives for all of our members in private or public service.

Reflecting on the last two years has been a difficult ask as the committee was in its initial phases of finding its feet when Covid-19 hit and as such our best laid plans have been challenged, to say the least. We have had a steep learning curve in moving to online meetings and addressing the ongoing issues around pay and terms and conditions during the pandemic when many aspects of our routine business have been paused. I feel we have managed that with some valuable lessons along the way. 

I love being part of this committee and take seriously our commitment to the membership to always seek to represent our members, where needed, on issues that affect us all in our day-to-day working lives.

I have gained valuable skills that I would not have without the support of the CSP, such as delegation, chairing meetings, meeting deadlines and learning to compromise where needed

Having a trade union background has helped me greatly in this role but I consistently learn more and more about the value of this movement to all our members. 

• Jill Taylor is a clinical team lead at the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust