External contributor / Richard Barratt

Richard joined the NHS as a Financial Management Assistant in 2002, and has since progressed into a number of senior finance positions across both provider and commissioner organisations in the Midlands region. He is currently Associate Director of Finance & Business Intelligence at Birmingham & Solihull CCG.  Richard is a CIPFA qualified accountant and member of the HMFA, through which he completed his mentoring qualification in 2011.

Richard is particularly passionate about the personal development of finance colleagues, both at an individual and team level. With extensive experience of successfully leading and developing large and diverse finance teams, he thrives on motivating people and building resilience within his departments. He would therefore particularly welcome the opportunity to mentor colleagues taking on new, additional or challenging line management responsibilities.

With considerable experience in the Acute secondary care sector, including Business Advisor and Deputy Finance Director roles, Richard has a proven track record in providing outstanding business support to operational areas. His key strengths and areas of interest include building effective working relationships with a wide range of Finance and non-Finance colleagues, including clinicians and Executive Directors.

Richard is an attentive listener who takes a genuine interest in people, building effective and long-lasting working relationships as a result. Through his mentoring relationships Richard encourages others to achieve a healthy sense of perspective, recognise the positives, and identify a practical approach to any given challenge.