Fiona Jenkins

Fiona is one of the Foundation Therapy Leads and a member of the Senior Leadership Team at Hedleys College.

Hedleys College is a specialist further education provider that supports 72 16-25 year olds, and Fiona plays a key role in looking at the wider therapeutic and educational needs of our students.

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How long have you worked at The Percy Hedley Foundation?

 I started at Hedleys College in March 2015.

What are some of the biggest changes you’ve seen in your time at the Foundation?

Hedleys College has changed so much since I started in 2015… we have continued to grow in numbers, we have moved sites, opened the hub site, supported our staff and students through the Covid pandemic, we also joined services with Horizons (then separated again!).

What has your journey been within the Foundation to get to where you are today?

I started as a Band 6 Physiotherapist when the college was based in Jesmond. The college had doubled its student numbers, and the physio team needed to expand.

After a move of sites over to Station Road and a few years further down the line I became the Lead Therapist for college, supporting with the operational management of the team.

I have also played a wider Foundation role as a Moving and Handling trainer, and I now lead the Foundation M&H steering group.

Since December, I have become part of the college Senior Leadership Team and one of the Foundation Therapy Leads.

What does an average day look like for you?  

My day varies so much as I have both clinical and leadership responsibilities. I might start the day leading a therapy team meeting and then see a student until lunchtime to complete their physiotherapy postural assessment. In the afternoon I could be completing a therapist’s probationary review, updating a Foundation policy, or working with the college OT team on their development plan for next year. In between this, I might be supporting a student who has fallen over with their moving and handling or attending to a first aid incident!

What’s your favourite part about your role? 

My current role requires me to look at the wider therapeutic and educational needs of our students and I enjoy helping to bring the wider team together to help support a student. However, I love being back in ‘physio mode’: being able to get a student out of their wheelchair to help get them moving in a walker or standing in a standing frame to increase their engagement in a session.

What is your greatest memory of working at the Foundation?  

I can’t think of only one specific greatest memory (although I loved the sponsored skydive!). Some of my greatest moments are the little successes – the splint that improved someone’s hand position, helping a student walk independently with specialist equipment, facilitating someone swimming lengths of the pool who can’t use their legs on land.

A piece of advice to someone joining the Foundation?  

To expect every day to be different with new challenges and experiences, so a flexible approach to work is important!

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