Meet the Governor!
Monica Maparanyanga is a hospital chaplain, bereavement therapist and Public Governor for NHFT, representing the Kettering and Corby constituency. We spoke to Monica about how a traumatic event helped to reshape her career path - and why being a governor enables her to build a bridge between NHFT and the community.
Tell us about yourself
I used to work as a hospital radiographer at Kettering General Hospital until I had a car accident and ended up as a patient at the hospital. When I recovered I was drawn towards working with others and because of my experience of grief and trauma, I went and retrained as a bereavement therapist and hospital chaplain as a way of giving something back. I'm also a mum and run a community social care service.
What inspired you to become an NHFT governor?
As a patient I experienced some of the systematic barriers that exist for black and ethnic minority groups and in getting the voices of the community heard. I felt inspired to become a governor to try to be the bridge between the community and NHFT, to bring more awareness of where gaps exist in terms of languages and cultural considerations.
What are the rewards of being an NHFT governor?
Being able to take back information into the community. NHFT offers a variety of services but sometimes the community are not aware of what's available to them. So being able to go and find out on their behalf where the support is and take back questions as well as the answers is very useful. That's where I feel my role is really important.
Why is it important for NHFT to prioritise valuing our people?
When everybody feels heard and understood by service providers, it makes them feel safe and that their needs are being met. So services are shaped around the people, the communities, that NHFT is serving and I feel that's important for making sure the services are meeting people's needs.