Pride Month is a month dedicated to celebrating the LGBTQ+ communities all around the world. It’s in June as it was the month of the Stonewall riots, the protests in America that changed gay rights for many people worldwide.
At Active Care Group, we pride ourselves on being inclusive with a diverse workforce. To conclude Pride Month 2021, we spoke to Sam Busby-Newman, Therapy Tech at Remeo our Respiratory Nursing centre. Sam goes by she/her pronouns and is openly Lesbian.
What does Pride mean to you?
“I see it as a time to celebrate all kinds of love. Time to promote equality and diversity. That it is ok to be who you are and that we should all respect each other’s way of life and that it is my life choice – even if it is different to your life choice. As long as no one is being harmed, why would you stop a person from being who they feel they are and love who they want to love? My slogan is to celebrate all kinds of love!”
Do you feel the LGBTQ+ community are well represented at Remeo?
“Yes, I do. I have been openly Lesbian since I joined Remeo back in December 2018 and not once have I felt that I’m being treated differently just because of my life choice to love and marry another woman.”
Tell us about your career progression from a Carer to a Therapy Tech.
“I joined the Remeo team back in December 2018 as a community Health Care Assistant (HCA) looking after critical care patients that had come from hospital and are cared for in their own home. In July of 2019 I had the opportunity to join the Remeo team on the ward as a HCA, I had never worked in a hospital environment and I wanted to see what it took to get the patient well enough to go home.
It was a very different way of working as I was used to working on my own, but I was now working as part of a team which was great. I loved it and was learning so much more. Then another opportunity came up for a new position that they wanted to offer any of the HCA’s to become a Therapy Tech on the unit and I went for it.
It has been a big learning curve for me as I’m working with all 3 therapies; the Physiotherapists, Occupational therapist and Speech and Language therapist.”
What are your day-to-day responsibilities as a Therapy Tech?
“My daily activities are working with patients on a one-to-one basis. The patients have programs that either the physio, occupational therapist and speech and langue have given me to do. Sometimes I’m doing something for each therapist with the same patient.
I also assist the different therapist on “double up’s”. I keep all the equipment in working order and I do all the paperwork, stock checks, and make sure signs above patient’s bed are up to date as to the progress in their recovery.
I like to think of myself as the oil in the big machine that keeps everything moving smoothly for everyone by doing all the little niggly jobs.”
What events do you have planned at Remeo for Pride week in September?
“For Pride week, starting Monday 6th September, I have organised some fun activities:
- We will be holding a rainbow themed sweet-stuff bake off
- “Design a top” competition where we will give staff old work uniforms that can no longer be used, to design and create a top for the gay pride march. This helps recycle old clothing as well as showing support
- I will be doing a short history about how Pride came to be; influential people, lots of fact about the LGBTQ+ community etc. and then have a quiz
- I’m going to highlight “What are pronouns and why are they important” throughout the week
- The other thing I want to highlight is the NHS Rainbow badges. It is an initiative that gives staff a way to show that they offer open, non-judgemental and inclusive care for patients and their families who identify as LGBTQ+. The Rainbow Badge initiative originated at Evelina London Children’s Hospital to make a positive difference by promoting a message of inclusion.”
Happy Pride Month from everyone at Active Care Group! For information and resources on Pride Month and the LGBTQ+ community please visit Stonewall.
