EXCLUSIVE: A day in the life of a clinical and educational lead at a global mobility specialist

Faith Brown, Clinical and Education Lead for Sunrise Medical, discusses what a typical day in her life looks like, including how she helps educate and inform other industry professionals on how they can help clients with their mobility needs.

Describe your current role

“I am currently the clinical and education lead, helping educate and inform other industry professionals on how they can help clients and patients with their mobility needs. We offer clinical and technical courses at our head office and on a pop-up basis throughout the UK and Ireland to help develop practical, evidence-based skills. We also run a STEPS programme, a series of courses aimed at industry providers, such as therapists, engineers, and other professionals who cover everything from correct seating and positioning to product workshops.

“Alongside this, my role also includes travelling across the country to present at conferences, contributing to research and supporting clinical professional development.”

 What does a typical day in your role look like?

“My schedule can vary day to day, making each one unique. If I’m in the office, I may be writing articles for our website or developing presentations on the clinical benefits of various mobility solutions. I also assist our product specialist and sales teams when there are particularly complex clinical queries.

“Additionally, I work with the research and development team to ensure the customer gets the right product to support their specific needs.

“As part of my role, I manage the clinical and education team, which currently has another experienced occupational therapist as well as myself, and may be adding a physiotherapist soon. The team travels anywhere across the UK and Ireland to offer educational sessions on how our clinicians can best meet their client’s needs. For example, we deliver a course on manual mobility which helps improve the knowledge and confidences of providers it comes to assessing and prescribing configurable and active manual wheelchairs.

“Alongside supporting the team, I often travel to support with new product trials and develop new content.”

What sort of assistive technologies do you work with?

“I work with Sunrise Medical’s assistive technologies related to mobility and postural support. This includes manual and power wheelchairs, ergonomic seating, power add-ons, and postural supports for lying and lounge chairs.

“We’ve recently launched some really exciting new technology that opens up new options for client independence – including all-terrain options like the Magic XT4 powered wheelchair and a Sterling S800 mobility scooter by Scoozy. It’s been a busy few months, but I’ve enjoyed being part of the development process and getting the feedback from end-users.

“Additionally, I’ve been working recently with NHS and private providers on the launch of our custom moulded seating by Ride Designs. This seat is based on a mould of the client and can offer better control of the wheelchair, comfort, and skin protection not possible in off-the-shelf solutions. For example, we used it to enable one client to get out of bed for the first time in two years and another to become fully independent in using her wheelchair to live an active lifestyle again.”

Who do you work with?

“I work with a wide variety of professionals involved in assessing, configuring, and fitting assistive technology. This includes occupational therapists, physiotherapists, rehabilitation engineers, clinical scientists, and retail providers.

“Additionally, I sometimes collaborate with researchers who want to understand more about the sort of assistive technology or are using it as part of a larger study.”

 What do you like most about your role?

“One of the things that I like the most about my role is that I can support therapists and other providers. Every person who attends a clinical education session goes away with something to help their practice, whether they use Sunrise Medical products or not.

“We also allow students in relevant disciplines to attend any of our STEPs courses. The technical courses are focused on Sunrise Medical-specific products, but even then attendees have an opportunity to find ways to work more efficiently and effectively in sorting out their clients’ needs.

“When I was a new therapist, I benefitted enormously from manufacture training to improve my assessment and provision skills both in my early career and when refreshing my knowledge on new technologies or aspects of practice. It is a privilege to be able to support my colleagues in their work in this way.”

Are there any challenges that you face?

“Whilst I like the travel and particularly enjoy meeting other professionals throughout the UK and Ireland, it can be difficult to be away from home sometimes. Any other therapists considering a similar role need to be creative to meet their obligations outside of work as well as be clear with their family on a need for cooperation.

“Another ongoing challenge is the lack of funding and staff resources in some settings. This can limit access to the most suitable mobility solutions for clients. My role often involves bridging these gaps by providing practical, evidence-based education that empowers professionals to make the most of the tools they have for the best client outcomes.”

Tips and tricks for getting the role?

“For other therapists who want to do this, I would suggest first learning as much as you can about the clinical knowledge related to mobility. This involves developing a solid foundation in anatomy, physiology, practical neurology, and psychology as well as environmental factors. This comes about from working in the field for many years, taking time to study, and being curious about what works and what doesn’t for clients.

“My background is in the NHS, private, and NGO work, and each one added something new.  Professional organisations and conferences are excellent resources. Many experienced clinicians are also often willing to provide mentorship if you reach out as well.

“I would also encourage someone who wants to get involved in training and education to seek experiences that develop those areas, even if it is completely unrelated to your daytime professional work. Skills in coaching, mentoring, and presenting are needed to do this work. For example, some of my early experience in leading workshops for campervan building gave me an excellent opportunity to practice group activities and engage with a group of attendees with highly varied levels of knowledge.”