Beata Mancinelli arrived in the UK with £20 in her back pocket. She couldn’t speak English and didn’t know anyone. But Beata’s determination has driven her from working as a hotel chambermaid to becoming one of ESNEFT’s developing leaders.
Beata was 19 when she travelled from Poland to England in 2010. Her plan was spend a few months in the UK, develop her English and then return home.
She took a chambermaid job at a hotel near Heathrow airport, rented a “cockroach-infested” room above a shop and worked long shifts on low pay.
“I ate cheap pate on bread as that’s all I could afford” she said. “It was an incredibly hard and physical job with long hours. I wanted to practise English, but it wasn’t the best place to do that as I didn’t interact with many other people.”
Beata, who had studied child psychology in Poland, then worked as a waitress at one of the airport cafes – an experience she’ll never forget.
“One customer wiped the floor with me because I couldn’t speak English. He asked for ‘Marmite’ and I thought he said ‘marmalade’. He was so horrible to me, but it was a turning point as it motivated me to spend every hour I had learning new words in English.”
Beata also met her husband, a policeman, while working at Heathrow. He helped her practise English as well as encouraged her to believe in herself.
Beata Mancinelli
The couple moved to Colchester and went on to have two children, but Beata felt isolated during her time away from work on maternity leave, so returned to a retail job in a local supermarket. “I needed to do something for myself” she said. “I loved interacting with people and within six months I’d been promoted to team leader.”
But Beata said her new role came without experience or the skills she needed, especially during challenging times like pandemic.
She said: “I felt like an accidental leader. I didn’t know how to lead and never had any appropriate training or qualifications. I wanted do better and develop the skills to be a great, conscious leader.”
Beata with her three children
Beata then fell pregnant with her third child and was so determined to grow her skills she sold her car to complete a CIPD level 3 qualifications in People Practice and Access Course at the Open University.
Once her maternity leave came to an end, Beata applied for a Band 2 admin job at ESNEFT.
She said: “Very early in my admin role I realised how important it was to make sure the data we held was accurate and correct, so I wanted to take it on as part of my project and improve it.”
As part of her role Beata completed another qualification through the Trust – a level 3 data tech apprenticeship with distinction, as well as the Springboard programme which she said boosted her confidence and made her more assertive, both personally and professionally.
She is now a Band 5 apprenticeship facilitator for the Talent for Care team and is completing a level 6 chartered manager degree apprenticeship.
Beata with the Talent for Care team
Beata said: “My husband often asks, ‘What are you going to do next?’ because I’m always eager to learn and progress. It hasn’t always been easy, especially while looking after three young children, but I’m committed to developing myself and contributing as much as I can.
“I really want to progress and I want to become the best leader I can be. The current apprenticeship has already helped me see how the NHS works from a strategic point of view and understand decisions and how they’re made at a leadership level.
Beata with her husband and children
“It’s encouraged my husband to develop his skills in the police force too.
“In my role now I really understand when people come to me and say they’re struggling or they don’t think they can continue. I get that. I’ve been through periods when it feels impossible but there are lots of options. I hopefully give them advice and support to carry on.”
There’s a variety of career development opportunities available at ESNEFT:
- You can find out more about apprenticeship opportunities on the ESNEFT website.
- Short-term work experience placements are available. Email workexperience@esneft.nhs.uk
- You can email our Talent For Care team talentforcare@esneft.nhs.ukto find out more about the opportunities at ESNEFT or to ask any questions about NHS careers.
- Job opportunities at ESNEFT are listed on the NHS job page.