Reflecting on six months as Marketing and Business Development Lead
Louise Sweeney joined Practice Solutions in 2018, working as Events and Engagement Lead for ADSS Cymru. In late 2023, she moved to our Business Development and Delivery Team as the new Marketing and Business Development Lead.
We asked Louise to tell us about moving roles, working directly with clients, and becoming a vital part of how Practice Solutions procures and delivers services.
Has it really been six months already?
Reflecting on my first few days at the start of November, it all seems such a blur of anxious excitement. A real mix of emotions – moving on from a role I’d whole heartedly thrown myself into for almost five years, but knowing that I was ready for a new challenge.
I had nothing to be worried about. I was welcomed warmly by the Business Development and Delivery Team, and it’s been a breath of fresh air seeing a whole new side of the business. Yes, there’s a great deal to learn, but I already feel like I’m adding value and starting to develop my own way of doing things.
I’ve attended a wide variety of networking events across Wales: from being invited to an Institute of Directors event, where guest speakers spoke about “The Game Keeper and the Prey”; to listening to The Access Group roadshows before they went on to partner with ADSS Cymru on the annual Spring Seminar event. The opportunity to work closely with these extended networks and starting to build relationships has been a real highlight for me.
We’ve begun to deliver our programme of Innovation Days (pictured below), working closely with PredicAire and Stable to deliver an exceptional launch event in Cardiff. This was followed by a series of online sessions where colleagues from the social care sector gained an insight into the innovative use of AI in residential care settings. We’re working to develop this programme of Innovation Days further, to include more partners and a diverse range of solutions, so keep an eye out over the summer for more ways to get involved in these.
I’m also starting to work with potential sponsorship partners for the National Social Care Conference 2024. This year we’ve revamped the packages and will also deliver a brand-new evening event Connect: Under the Dome on behalf of ADSS Cymru. There are some really exciting ways to get involved, so please get in touch if you’d like to be involved or to hear more about this flagship event.
I’m lucky enough to work closely with our own team of associates, some of whom I’ve never worked with before. This team is diverse, and each individual brings their own knowledge and life experience to every project. Hopefully by getting to know the team better and developing an understanding of their strengths and experience, this will help me to shape our tendering space moving forward.
Talking of tendering, the pace is fast! There are numerous portals to remember, and I’m sure I’ve asked the team the same question a hundred times so far. We’ve had some great wins and a few losses, but I’m keen to make sure we’re constantly pushing forward and getting involved in as much as we can.
The whole Practice Solutions team are extremely supportive, and seeing the depth of knowledge in how to do good business is really inspiring. If the next few months are as insightful and interesting as these past few have been, then this next year will be exciting for sure!
If you’d like to find out more about the work of our Business Development and Delivery team, check out our Innovation Days and the National Social Care Conference 2024.
If you’re interested in joining the Practice Solutions team, check out Our Work Opportunities page for more information and the latest vacancies.
