Cancer at Work Webinar

Yesterday morning Helen Crook, our Head of Clinical Services delivered our penultimate Health in Hand webinar for 2024. The topic was Cancer in the Workplace. Helen gave a very insightful presentation on this sensitive and emotive subject and shared the alarming statistic that more than 125,000 working age people are diagnosed with cancer in the UK every year, equating to approximately 320 people a day. Helen gave advice from all angles – the person with the cancer diagnosis, the employer and the colleagues. The emphasis was on the need for creating a supportive and understanding environment where communication is key. Understanding that each person may deal with a diagnosis differently, therefore the need to flex your approach accordingly is crucial. No two journeys are the same. The cancer pathway is not linear.

Following Helen’s presentation we were also honoured to have Jessica Ward, Principal of Elmhurst Ballet School, speak of her own diagnosis and how she has navigated this time from both a sufferer and employer perspective. Jessica spoke candidly about her journey, recognising her need to set boundaries and have clarity. She spoke of determining how many ‘spoonful’s of energy’ she had and how to prioritize where those spoons were spent. Jessica left us with a very powerful quote from Simon Sinek, an American Author, ‘leadership is not about being in charge, but more about taking charge of people in your charge’.