An in-depth profile on CHEC’s Chief People Officer Amanda Williams Amanda Williams is the Chief People Officer at CHEC, where she leads the People & Education department, overseeing the entire employee lifecycle. Her remit includes shaping the company culture, building capability, and enhancing the people experience to support CHEC’s growth agenda. Amanda also spearheads the Environmental Social Governance (ESG) agenda, working with a passionate cross-functional team to make a positive impact on the world. With over 30 years of experience in HR across diverse industry sectors and business sizes, Amanda’s passion for people as a company’s greatest asset was ignited early in her career during a graduate management scheme at Wm Morrisons in the 1990s. This led her to specialise in Personnel (as it was then known), becoming a trainee Personnel Manager and subsequently earning her Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD) qualification after a year of full-time study. Her career progressed through roles at Carlsberg, Tetley and beyond, culminating in HR Director positions. A strong advocate for continuous learning, Amanda holds a Masters in CIPD (attained in 2003) and achieved Fellow status of the CIPD in 2006. She is also a qualified Myers Briggs and Strengthscope personality facilitator, and in 2018, she earned an Institute of Leadership & Management Level 7 qualification in Executive Coaching and Mentoring. Amanda is passionate about the positive impact she has had on the growth and development of individuals and the high-performing HR teams she has built. Her retail background instilled in her valuable lessons applicable across all sectors. She approaches her work with unwavering drive and a positive, can-do attitude, utilising the GROW model of coaching to partner effectively with individuals and business leaders. “I feel deeply connected with CHEC’s values upon joining the organisation and emphasises the importance of fairness in building trust, fostering collaboration, and creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and heard. My leadership style is characterised by high challenge and high support, with clear expectations and a focus on delivering excellent service across all aspects of the employee lifecycle.” CHEC’s ongoing growth and diversification is particularly exciting to Amanda with respect to the workforce, and is driven by a commitment to continuous improvement and putting patients and people at the heart of the organisation. She believes that an engaged, empowered, and values-aligned workforce is crucial to enhancing patient choice and service quality. By leading a compassionate and well-trained team, she aims to directly improve the patient experience. Outside of her professional life, Amanda considers being a supportive mother to her daughter, and son, her most important role. She juggles their busy schedules with caring for her mother, who has dementia. Amanda is also a Parent Governor at her children’s former primary school, contributing her expertise to ensure effective school management. She enjoys activities which focus on remaining fit and healthy including the gym and rambling which she described as grounding and refreshing. Amanda’s personal philosophy is to always be her authentic self, remain open to learning and driving positive change, maintain accountability, and find joy in her work. Patient Testimonials Exquisite and exemplary cataract customer service from booking to surgery follow-up appointments. The staff throughout both procedures have been extremely supportive, professional, and compassionate. Keith R Whitburn The nurse clearly explained what checks she was about to carry out and made me feel relaxed during the process. Trevor Wood I was terrified of undergoing the procedure, but the Endoscopist and the nurses present were wonderful and made an uncomfortable procedure as pleasant as possible. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of you who were present. Gayle Taylor Fantastic staff from entering the building to leaving. Everybody was friendly, confident and couldn't have asked for anymore from them. A genuine credit to the NHS. Gareth The service and treatment were outstanding, with no long waiting time for an appointment. Following my consultation, I was given an appointment the next day to have my cataract removed. What a great service. John Elliott It was a very quick process from the consultation to the procedure. Very friendly and helpful staff. Helen C My 2nd cataract surgery was, in my opinion, a superb example of patient care. My surgeon and all the other staff were great ambassadors for CHEC. John Dunbavand I just had my cataract surgery at CHEC. Despite my nerves, the staff were reassuring and made me feel comfortable. The surgery was quick, I was kept informed at every stage which was great. I cannot recommend CHEC highly enough. Gill As soon as I arrived, I was made to feel at ease. All staff were friendly but professional, they couldn’t have been any better. I now have no fear in returning to continue my treatment. Linda S This was my first visit to CHEC, the Reception staff were extremely helpful and polite. All the other staff were very pleasant and made you feel welcome to be there, credit to you all. Linda James Welcoming, friendly, attentive, efficient, and above all, patient. Having my eyes tested at this practice provided excellent service at a time when one might wonder why these tests are necessary. Thanks to the staff I met today. Kevin Johnson The staff at Ilford were excellent. The nurses explained my procedure step by step, and when I met with the doctor, they were very welcoming and made me feel comfortable. Thank you so much. Barbara Murphy The staff are all very friendly, very kind and very smiley. I had a good experience, and I would definitely recommend Ilford practice to friends and family. Raahim I had my second cataract procedure at CHEC in Blackpool today. Once again l was impressed by the kindness, helpfulness, good humour, and professionalism of everybody who works there. Thank you. Graham Jones I had a laser capsulotomy treatment in Stevenage on Monday 26th February. I was in and out of the treatment centre in under 10 minutes. All instructions were easy to follow with astonishing results. Well-done and thank you. S Frost The staff were brilliant at each stage which made the entire process calming, from consultation through to the surgery. The receptionists were fantastic. Kim I found the whole process to be highly professional and competent and would therefore recommend this organisation without reservation to anyone who needs cataract surgery. Nigel Morgan I was made to feel relaxed from the moment we arrived by all the amazing staff. I wish other medical institutions were like this. Thank you. K.R. All the staff were attentive, polite and friendly. They listened to my individual needs and took great care of me. Mary Dyas Really quick referral and appointment at CHEC Stockport. Lovely staff. Efficient and timely appropriate medical care. Responsive follow up. Premises are really clean and a pleasant experience at a worrying time of a health issue involving eyesight. Excellent care thank you! Richard I am very pleased with the service at CHEC, it is absolutely first-class. From the receptionists, the way I was treated and having the operation done was good. Since having the operation my vision has been very good. Anonymous The whole process has been very fast and exceeded my expectations. The staff are all very friendly and professional. I am very pleased with CHEC Northampton. Anonymous I’m amazed by the quick, efficient service and ecstatic about the results. I now see car number plates, road signs, and TV text bright and clearly, with everything appearing detailed. This is the best birthday present ever. Thank you so much, please don’t change a thing. Marian Curran