‘She pushed me out of my comfort zone and challenged me to better myself’

For Community Care’s 50th anniversary, our My Brilliant Colleague series invites you to celebrate anyone who has inspired you in your career.

In this entry, substance misuse lead Andy Whapham celebrates Debbie Brough, his former practice educator and role model, who continues to be a source of advice and support years after his placement with her.

Debbie Brough has been and continues to be my inspiration and role model.

She was my practice educator during my university placement and again during my assessed and supported year in employment.

She pushed me out of my comfort zone, challenged me to better myself, and supported me when I was going through difficult times.

She has a wealth of knowledge and experience that she is always willing to share. To this day, she continues to provide me with advice whenever I need it.

I can’t thank her enough for everything she has done and I most certainly would not be the practitioner, and indeed person, I am today without her.

Debbie is the best of us!!

How to nominate a colleague

For our 50th anniversary, we’re expanding our series My Brilliant Colleague to include anyone who has inspired you in your career – whether current or former colleagues, managers, students, lecturers, mentors or prominent past or present sector figures whom you have admired from afar.

Nominate your colleague or social work inspiration by either:

• Filling in our nominations form with a letter or a few paragraphs (100-250 words) explaining how and why the person has inspired you.
• Or sending a voice note of up to 90 seconds to +447887865218, including your and the nominee’s names and roles.

Despite the need to provide your name and role, you or the nominee can be anonymous in the published entry.

If you have any questions, email our community journalist, Anastasia Koutsounia, at anastasia.koutsounia@markallengroup.com.