Inspectors are the backbone of JACIE; without them, there is no accreditation process. Becoming an inspector is a wonderful way to contribute to maintaining global quality standards. As the number of JACIE applications has increased, we are constantly looking for new inspectors to join our ranks. At the moment, we are particularly keen to hear of German, French and Spanish speaking Clinicians and Quality Managers.
Each month, you will have the opportunity to meet with one of our JACIE Inspector who will share his/her experience.
Read our interview with Stuart Kennedy, JACIE inspector for Quality Management.
Introduce yourself and your role(s) and position(s) within EBMT and outside of EBMT
Hi, my name is Stuart Kennedy and I have been a JACIE inspector for Quality Management since 2017. I’ve been an active member of the JACIE UK and Ireland QA forum since 2014.
I work for the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which has been my home for the past 18 years with 10 of those in a Quality Management based role. My current role is as Quality Manager for the Paediatric Autologous Stem Cell Transplant Programme, Paediatric Haematology/Oncology and Paediatric Research.
Why did you decide to become a JACIE inspector?
When I first took on the role of Stem Cell Therapy Quality Manager for Paediatrics in Oxford, back in early 2014, the role and JACIE in general, were entirely new to the department. Having gone through the process of developing a programme to meet the standards, aided by considerable advice/support from colleagues in the UK and Ireland QA forum, I passionately believe JACIE has pushed us to be a better, higher quality service.
Once I had the experience, along with the confidence from realising – Yes, I do know what I’m doing! I wanted to give something back, so becoming a JACIE inspector seemed like the perfect next step! JACIE inspectors are not there to tick boxes or to find mistakes, we’re there to help centres be the best versions of themselves and to guide them to achieve accreditation. Being a part of helping centres to do this makes me happy!
What has been the most memorable inspection that you have ever done?
Every inspection I’ve been a part of has been memorable and I’ve learnt something from every one of them. I count myself extremely lucky to have got to meet so many wonderful people, both in terms of the amazing teams being inspected and the wonderful people I’ve inspected alongside.
If I were to pick the most memorable, I’d have to go with my 5th (and most recent) inspection, which was at a centre in Belgium, my first outside of UK and Ireland. The centre was French speaking, but unfortunately, languages are not my strong suit, and I don’t speak French! QM inspectors are very document heavy, so this added the extra complexity of having to translate many documents. Fortunately, the centre was very accommodating and with a little extra prep and the assistance of the wonderful fellow inspectors it proved an incredibly enjoyable and rewarding experience.
What ‘keys to successful JACIE accreditation’ can you share with us?
From a QM inspector perspective – prep prep prep! Getting as much of the checklist completed ahead of the inspection is key and gives you the time to properly explore and understand the workings of the programme when it comes to actual inspection. Don’t be afraid to ask for more documents ahead of time.
When it comes to the inspection itself it’s so important to try and make those you are speaking to as comfortable as possible, it should be a chat rather than an interrogation. We’re not trying to catch people out; we’re trying to understand how they work to accurately confirm compliance. Just be open, and in the case of non-compliances I find it useful to run through any issues and explain why it’s important.
Finally – Prepping for inspection for those being inspected is extremely hard work and can be very stressful, we as inspectors have of course been through this with our own centre’s inspections. When you inspect, you’ll always find excellent ways of working and amazing, dedicated staff – make sure to highlight and celebrate the excellence. When it comes to the closing meeting and the official report – make sure it’s said/documented, let it officially be known just how great you think their Quality Manager is!
How has your career/work benefited from being a JACIE inspector?
There are always different ideas and ways of working that you pick up from inspections and can bring back to your own centre. Every time I get back from an inspection, I always feel revitalised with exciting new ideas I want to adapt to improve our own service! It’s also a brilliant way of keeping up to date and on track with the new and ever developing standards.
From a personal perspective it’s greatly improved my understanding of the standards and my confidence of my own knowledge. All on top of getting to go to some wonderful places and meetings lots of amazing people.
Do you have any tips or advice for anyone who aspires to become a JACIE Inspector?
Do it! You’ll learn so much more about JACIE and about yourself, all while meeting inspirational people from many different walks of life.