From busy A&E departments to travelling the world at sea, Elliott had already built a varied healthcare career before discovering a different way to use his clinical experience through functional assessments.
Having spent several years working as an A&E nurse with both adults and children, Elliott moved into healthcare on cruise ships before eventually returning to land and beginning his career as a Functional Assessor with Ingeus. It was a very different environment to those he had experienced before, but one which opened the door to new skills and knowledge.
“When I returned to land, I started as a functional assessor and it was so different but so good. I learned a variety of new skills. I learned about conditions that I had heard of but didn't really know much about.”
Elliott's career with Ingeus began as a Clinical Delivery Manager within the quality team. Since then, he has worked with colleagues across the Health Assessment Advisory service, from other Functional Assessors and Clinical Support Leads to Clinical Performance Managers and operational support teams.
It is that variety, and the people behind it, that Elliott particularly values.
“The best thing about working at Ingeus really is the people that we work with. It's a variety of people, variety of backgrounds from all over the UK. And we're all focused on the same thing. And that is the claimants.”
For Elliott, ensuring each person feels supported and understood throughout their assessment is particularly important. Assessments can take place by telephone, video or face-to-face, while some cases are reviewed using written questionnaires, supporting information and medical evidence.
“For me, the best thing about being a Functional Assessor is the customers. It's bringing someone in who's quite scared, vulnerable and worried that they don't know the process. We can spend a couple of extra minutes explaining the process to them, then exploring their health needs and providing a really good assessment. And at the end of that, we can get the right outcome for them that they deserve.”
Taking the time to explain what is happening and put people at ease is something Elliott believes can make a significant difference, particularly for customers who may already be facing difficult circumstances. It also connects directly with his favourite Ingeus value, Take Pride.
“We really do strive, and everyone does strive to put that person first and in the centre of everything we do. And to me, that's the most important thing that we should be doing.”
Continuous learning has also played an important role in Elliott's experience. New Functional Assessors complete initial training before receiving mentoring from an experienced colleague, while ongoing continuing professional development (CPD) covers areas including different health conditions, assessment approaches, mental health and physical health.
“There's a variety of different opportunities to extend and expand your own knowledge that you have previously and build a whole new base of fresh skills that you can take forward as your career as a Functional Assessor.”
There are opportunities to develop beyond assessments too, including initial reviews, auditing reports, mentoring and clinical coaching, alongside wider career progression routes.
For someone whose career has already taken him from A&E to working at sea and into functional assessment, that opportunity to continue learning is complemented by something much simpler: knowing there are colleagues around to support you.
“There's always someone around to help you, whether that be a question clinically, a question about day-to-day business works and operations. Something about personal life that's going on. Any question you've got there is someone around.”
For Elliott, it's a supportive environment united by a shared focus on putting customers at the centre of everything they do.
