Case study: Q&A: Beverley Galer - CRN Wessex's new Direct Delivery Team Administrator

When did you join the CRN Wessex Direct Delivery team?

I joined as the administrator for the Direct Delivery Team in June 2021.

How are you settling in? 

Each new member of the DDT has been very friendly and I have felt comfortable being part of the team. It has been great to see how the core CRN Wessex team has welcomed the DDT and as much as we have a separate name for us as a DDT, we are still one big team. It makes it a great environment to work in, so I feel very fortunate to be part of the team.

Please tell us a little bit about your role within the team. 

I deal with the admin for the direct delivery and CRN Wessex teams: inductions for the new members of the staff, processing sickness  and annual leave, organising training, arranging meetings and assisting the Office Manager. 

Is this your first role within research? 

I was previously the administrator for the core team at CRN Wessex for three & half years. Prior to that, I had no research experience and didn’t work for the NHS. I had worked in the lettings business for 14 years and wanted a new challenge, but also something that would allow me to  better juggle work and family life. 

What have you found most rewarding, enjoyable or interesting about your role so far? 

As much as it was horrendous during the pandemic, it was also exciting to see   colleagues from research teams join together to create the vaccines. 

Tell us about a time that a participant or member of the research team has made you feel inspired and proud of working within the field. 

During the pandemic, members of the team that could be were re-deployed to other areas of the NHS to help out. Our research nurse, Ruth Jackson, went back to ICU and dealt with that change, knowing that she also had to home school after she had worked long hours with the extreme pressure of looking after herself and the patients - I felt proud to be working alongside people like her and her colleagues.

What have you found challenging about your role so far? 

The only real challenge I have, and it’s not a major one, but when I’m trying to organise a new staff member’s induction when the rota’s at the hub are constantly changing due to other demands that the team has to meet. 

How would you describe the role of the Direct Delivery Team?

The Direct Delivery Team is a group of individuals who have a mixture of different skills and experiences coming together to run the various trials in Wessex.  

How do you think the Direct Delivery Team will benefit/enhance health and social care research in the Wessex region?

I feel that by expanding our team, it will give people more awareness of what they do and how they can help within the Wessex area. 

What are you most looking forward to career wise in the next six months?

I am looking forward to learning more about what the team have been involved in, what part they have played and how I can support them going forward.