'If you get a chance to come to community, do it' – why community care is the right fit for Dan and Michelle

A new direction for Dan

Dan Stephens, a qualified nurse who moved to Kent in 2022 from his native Lincolnshire, is loving his new role in sexual health with Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (KCHFT).

Dan, 42, took a big step when he moved to Kent to live with his partner in Lydden, near Dover. Previously a clinical site lead for a large acute hospital in Lincoln, Dan initially applied for a similar role in Ashford, but found a way back to his original calling when he applied for a role in sexual health with KCHFT.

Dan said: “I had always wanted to work in sexual health, but when I qualified in 2002 the service was quite under-invested, so I ended up in acute medicine.

"My partner works for the Home Office so when we got together we decided it would be easier for me to move to Kent to be with him. I originally took a similar role to the one I had in Lincoln, but the fit wasn’t right so I decided to take the leap and follow my dream of working in sexual health.

“It was a step-down financially, but it’s absolutely been worth it. Sexual health services have changed so much in the past 20 years. It’s the diversity and variety I enjoy and the fact you can see, diagnose and treat people in one visit, most of the time. I really feel I’m making a difference to patients.

“With KCHFT there’s so much emphasis on training. For my appraisal this year I wrote down all the new things I had learned and the list was absolutely massive. I am moving forward with my development and I am now a senior sexual health nurse in the team. I know I’ve still got so much to learn and every day is a school day for me. I tell all my friends, if you get the chance to come to community, just do it.”

Michelle moves into new role

A flexible approach to working was the main draw for Michelle Horsley, from Lordswood, when she applied to be a pharmacy support worker with the Sexual Health Team at Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust.

Michelle said: “I had worked in exercise referral and as a physiotherapy assistant before and I knew I wanted to stay working in a health-related role. I like to use my skills to help people.

“I carry out admin tasks for the Sexual Health Pharmacy Team – scanning prescriptions, monitoring stocks and keeping track of finances. Part of the reason I wanted this role is because it fits round my life – I enjoy going to the gym in the morning and my manager knows it’s important to me, so I start work a bit later in the day. It’s a varied role and I’m really enjoying it.”