Professor Carol Baxter

Carol Baxter, equality and diversity project manager with the Department of Health, Human Resources Directorate, reveals what a career as a policy developer entails. 

I began my career in healthcare in 1971: training and then working as a nurse, midwife and health visitor. I combined a career break to bring up a family with studying for a Masters and then a Doctorate degree at Manchester University. I returned to full-time work in 1995 as a senior lecturer at the Universities of Central Lancashire and Manchester. For as long as I can remember I have had an interest in equality and human rights issues and I maintained a focus on these areas throughout my professional life. This included leading a number of initiatives, and writing in professional and academic journals as well as writing books.

Linking evidence, policy and practice

In 2002 I was seconded for three years from my post as professor of nursing at Middlesex University to join the equality and diversity team at the Department of Health’s Human Resources Directorate, where I now have an opportunity to contribute to policy development in this area. The main thrust of my work is managing a project supporting improved access for black and ethnic minority people into the nursing and midwifery professions. This involves using my research expertise in establishing evidence of inequalities and identifying the causes. We work with various organisations including the Universities and Colleges’ Admissions Service (UCAS), and the Nursing and Midwifery Admissions Service (NMAS) to establish statistics on access, and with community groups to get their perspective. We will be producing a plan of action based on the findings setting out what steps should be taken and by whom to reverse the trend of low conversion of interest to places on courses. My role also entails working alongside civil servants helping to provide briefings and responses to parliamentary questions and contributing material to speeches for ministers.

Be visible

It is not usual for newly qualified nurses to move straight into a career in policy development within the Department of Health (DoH). However, when developing policy the DoH always likes to work with those practitioners who are actually doing the work. Often this takes the form of a secondment (being on loan) from your employing organisation. Nurses wanting an opportunity to work in this way will need to have established a track record in a particular field. Continuing your education and your professional development will also be very important, as will developing a wide network of people who can support and advise you.