On this edition of Starfish Sessions, Ben Manojlovic sat down with Maggie Kufeldt, a highly experienced leader in adult social care and housing and former head of paid service to reflect on her career. Maggie discusses in detail how she copes with the demands of challenging interim assignments and coping with the unexpected while on assignment.

Please do introduce yourself, who you are, recent career history?

I’m Maggie Kufeldt, I’ve worked in health and social care within local government for the last 30+ years, 25 of which were spent in Greater Manchester. My most recent permanent post was with Oldham Council as Executive Director for Health and Wellbeing. I left in 2018 to pursue a career as an interim leader. As an interim I’ve worked in some fabulous places including London Borough of Islington, London Borough of Camden, Royal Hospital Chelsea, Department of Health and Social Care during COVID, Liverpool City Council and Salford City Council.

Each of my assignments have been immensely varied and challenging and I’ve had the opportunity to test myself in different settings. These roles have given me so much confidence in myself and my abilities. I’ve met and worked with many different people – Chief Executives, Army Generals and Ministers of State. I have felt enormously privileged to do so and I hope I’ve added value to each place I’ve worked.

Can you tell us a bit more about the work you’re doing currently?

I’ve just finished a 15 month assignment with Salford City Council as Interim Executive Director for Adults and Health Partnerships, leading Adults Social Care, Housing, Welfare and Public Health Services. The role involved leading the development of a new directorate and working with the teams on developing and improving our services. I’m delighted to be staying on in Salford as Director of Housing Transformation for a further 6 months.

It’s unusual for me to stay so long in one place but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time in Salford. Salford is a city close to my heart and lots of my relatives live in the City and it’s been great to have the opportunity to work with Tom Stannard again and with the members in Salford who have great vision and ambition. As an interim you don’t always get to see the results of the work you start so it’s been fantastic to see this playing out now.

What led you to choose a career in social work?

I had a place to study English Literature at University of Liverpool but decided this was too far from home (even though I only lived on Manchester). I took a year off and my mum told me I had to work, by coincidence my sister’s friend had recently opened a care home and I went to work there at 19 years old. That was my first job in social care and from the moment I stepped through the door I absolutely loved it. It was a powerful experience for me and has led to a long career in social care, local government and the wider public sector.

In a few of your interim assignments you’ve been asked to stay on in a different capacity, how has that come about?

I’d say it’s a mix of luck, attitude and approach. I always take an active interest in the whole organisation, I have an open approach to my roles too and identify opportunities and improvements to support the whole organisation, not just in “my” service area. I build good relationships with everyone, not just those in my team. I like to get involved in corporate life and have a role in the corporate team and I think that’s led to me being asked to stay on in other areas which is something I’ve really enjoyed doing. I’d never really done housing before I became an interim and I’ve led on it in 3 different councils now! Don’t lose sight of why you were brought into the organisation in the first place though, there is a balance to this.

What led to your decision to become an interim manager? 

I had only ever worked and lived in Greater Manchester and I wanted to test myself in a place where not everyone knew me and the working environment was less familiar. Looking back, I was probably in a bit of a rut and the idea of working away really excited me. It was a managed risk to see if I could work in a different environment and it’s paid off for me. I’ve expanded my network enormously, have had amazing opportunities and have learnt a vast amount and that’s something I really value.

What advice would you give to someone who’s considering that move themselves? 

Speak to as many people and have as many conversations as you can. Talk to good recruitment specialists about your area of work and the types of opportunities that might be available for you. Talk to other interims about their experiences and the reality of it. Talk to other organisations in your area and talk to your existing network.

You also really need to think about the context of how you’d like to work, are you comfortable working and staying away from home? Are you comfortable without a stable income? Are you comfortable with time off between contracts? Make sure you go in with a full understanding of it.

You really need to consider the impact it has on your finances too. Staying away from home can be expensive, you don’t get paid while you’re on holiday and it’s important to plan for times when you’re not working or unable to work and that’s something I’ve had first-hand experience with.

Can you tell us a bit more about that?

I remember it so well. It started in January 2020, I went out for a run, came home to shower and found a lump in my right breast. At the time I was on an interim assignment with London Borough of Camden, I rang them straight away and let them know I wouldn’t be in work that week. After some tests with my GP I was diagnosed with breast cancer, it completely floored me. My treatment happened through Covid and lockdown which meant I had to shield throughout.

Camden were incredibly supportive, the Chief Executive Jenny Rowlands and Executive Director Martin Pratt both agreed that I would continue to work there and take time off around my treatment as needed. I was absolutely terrified I’d lose my assignment which was so important to me and for my mental health, I absolutely wanted to carry on working but I understood the organisation had their own needs and demands as well. I was really fortunate Camden were so flexible with me and I can’t tell you how supported I felt throughout this, even as an interim. I’ll always be grateful to Jenny and Martin for the compassion they showed me during such a difficult moment in my life.

Later on that year whilst still having treatment I went on to work for DHSC leading the Covid response in the West Midlands. It was tough and challenging but again the right thing for me as I like to be busy and feel like I’m making a difference. Clive Wright was another great support in this role.

This is my personal experience, but I completely recognise this will vary greatly from person to person – there’s no one size fits all approach. I do believe it’s important to be open and honest with your employers, manage their expectations about what time and energy you can commit. This applies to a health issue like I had but it could also be maternity leave, a bereavement or something else, I’ve learned that most people are supportive and will want to help you.

I spoke about finances before but it’s worth reiterating. As a permanent member of staff you’ll have access to benefits, sick leave and the support an organisation will provide and as an interim you don’t. Make sure you prepare for the difficult times while you’re working, set money aside and consider critical illness cover too.

Is there anything more agencies or employees could be doing to support interim managers facing their own health struggles? 

For recruitment companies I’d say interim care is the most important thing. Stay in touch with people during the good times and the bad times, while they’re on assignment or between assignments. You want to feel as though that business has your back and there’s something really powerful about staying in touch.

My advice to employers would be you won’t get the most out of interims if you think of them and refer to them as “the interim”. Create an environment where interims can thrive, be included and feel part of the set up and team dynamic. You have a responsibility to them to, this works both ways. You may not be able to give them the same benefits as your permanent members of staff but you can afford them the same courtesy.

What’s been your career highlight?

I’d have to say my interim role at Royal Hospital Chelsea. Living and working in an esteemed national organisation that allowed me to work alongside the Chelsea pensioners daily had a real impact on me, it was fulfilling and amazingly good fun. It gave me an understanding of army life and military culture which I knew nothing about. You never stop learning as an interim!