With a career of over 25 years in the NHS, Challans founded the operational manager and leader network, Proud2bOps in 2017. 

‘When I was in a very senior ops role, I got to a point of thinking ‘where are other people like me?' Challans tells me. 

‘I thought where are my peers? Who can I learn from? Who can I share my challenges with? Who can I generate ideas with?

‘I reached out to try and find the network or forum space for people like me and I quickly found that one didn't exist.'

It was then that Challans decided to start a conversation with her peers. 

‘There were about 15 of us that got in a room way back then and we're now a network of thousands of people across the country,' she remembers. 

‘The name Proud2bOps comes from the fact that people are really proud of what they're doing, and ops managers and leaders are never really recognised. It's always been the clinical and other professions who are recognised so let's be proud of who we are and what we do.'

Spurred on by her mission to deliver system-wide operational change and improvement, Challans is also director of consultancy, NHS Horizons. 

‘At NHS Horizons, we do a lot of work for the NHS around leading-edge thinking with regards to large- scale change and how you approach it,' Challans says. 

‘We do a lot around social movements, networks, culture change and support a lot of national programmes, as well as doing bits of international work as well.'

Challans says there are strong synergies between her roles at Proud2bOps and NHS Horizons. 

‘They're both about working with frontline leaders, supporting health and care improvement, doing that through leadership culture change, social movements and bringing new tools and techniques to actually make improvements that are sustainable,' she says. 

During her 25 years, Challans says she has seen many changes but little to compare with the current structural upheaval. 

‘We are talking about one of the most radical reforms that we've had, probably since 2012-13,' Challans notes. ‘This is real, radical change.'

The company founder said a lack of clarity was one of the main challenges facing NHS workers. 

‘We've got so much uncertainty and lack of clarity at the minute about what all these decisions will mean,' Challans says. 

‘It's the fact that we don't have clarity that puts even greater strain on the workforce. 

‘We need to work together on getting clarity and being open and honest. That's okay, because the majority of people want that openness and honesty even if you don't have an answer to it. I think it's better than not saying anything.'

Through her positions with Proud2bOps and NHS Horizons, Challans is playing a leading role in helping managers and leaders navigate the fog of organisational change. 

‘Proud2bOps was founded on the fact that we are a safe, supportive space,' Challans explains. 

‘We're offering spaces where we can bring people along to decompress. We ask what is it they're hearing? What is it they're experiencing? If something new is announced, let's talk about it.

‘We provide live conversation sessions where we can do that. We also bring other thought leaders in to help take us outside of our boxes and take our blinkers off, because sometimes you can become too stuck in your ways, which then means you can't look out beyond it.' 

NHS England chief executive Sir Jim Mackey and retired senior Royal Marines officer General Sir Gordon Kenneth Messenger are just two of the illustrious leaders who have spoken to her members to stretch their thinking.

Challans also gives up her own time and energy to listen to network members who want to reach out. 

The director says there is a ‘mixture of emotions' among staff in the current uncertain climate ranging from excitement and welcoming change to nervousness and anxiety over not knowing what is going to come. 

She tells HM there is a real need to get a better balance between fire-fighting and being a fire prevention officer. 

‘It seems the majority of our time is spent fire-fighting and that's not going to allow us to prepare and plan for a future new form and function,' Challans says. 

She highlights the importance of properly investing in managers and leaders who will be delivering the Government's changes. 

‘We need to give them the time and the space, but importantly, give them the tools and the opportunities to co create the future, not just be told the future,' she stresses. 

‘And I believe that co-creation and co-design is really important to our success.'

Proud2bOps took an active role in the 10-Year Health Plan consultation, contributing to the national workforce group and provided formal feedback from members as well as encouraging them to respond individually. 

‘We strongly believe in partnerships and relationships, and we want to be a critical friend and an ally, not simply banging on the door saying this is wrong or these are the issues,' Challans notes. 

‘We're very much more of a solution focus network and we want to work for the greater good and give back.'

Speaking ahead of the publication of the 10-Year Health Plan this month, I ask Challans what she would like to see in it. 

A ‘rigorous' framework for career development and talent management is the first area she highlights. 

Secondly, she says a greater focus on neighbourhood and collaborative working, and thirdly she highlights the need for a ‘really strong thread of culture transformation'. 

Challans also stresses the need for real culture change in the NHS. 

‘Processes, systems, structures, they will not radically change our NHS,' she says. 

‘We really need a bottom-up movement for change led by our workforce and citizens and that will take years.'

Finally, the director urges the Government to shift away from short-term funding regimes to a long-term commitment. 

Summing up, Challans notes that recognition and appreciation for the passion of the NHS workforce to deliver and improve care is vital to sustaining morale and helping build a workforce eager to deliver change and create an NHS fit for the future. 

‘I have utmost respect for the people in these roles and what they take on their shoulders, day in, day out, and I can see that, both from being in those front facing roles and also from being a leader of the network,' she observes. 

‘I want to say thank you to everyone who's doing their best out there.'

If you would like to appear in The Big Interview email Lee Peart at l.peart@hgluk.com