TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT Mentoring for AE
Steve Mount BSc (Hons) CBiol, MRSB, FIHEEM, MWMSoc, Legionella Risk Consultant, AE (W) Steve Mount Associates Ltd.
Steve Mount provides consultancy advice and training to a wide variety of clients, including NHS primary care Trusts, healthcare organisations, and facilities management companies. He is a Fellow of IHEEM, an IHEEM-registered Authorising Engineer (Water), and a member of the IHEEM Water Technical Platform. Working for several NHS Trusts and healthcare organisations has given him experience and insight into the requirements for compliance of large establishments. Steve regularly delivers training and lectures to a wide range of organisations, with the emphasis on Legionella awareness, management, and compliance. He formed Steve Mount Associates Ltd in January 2006. The company provides a range of professional water hygiene and Legionella management training and consultancy services, and is fully independent, having no links to any water treatment company or chemical supplier.
AE knowledge-sharing
and mentoring “I left my position as a UKAS-accredited Microbiology laboratory manager in May 2005 following a 25-year career in microbiology and UKAS-accredited Legionella analysis. One of my clients in the lab was David Harper – EngTech, FIHEEM, FWMSoc, MCIPHE, MIET, HFSOPHE, Public Health Officer and IHEEM-registered Authorising Engineer (Water). Dave was originally from the north-west of England, and we hit it off. After leaving the lab he encouraged me to develop my interest in water hygiene management. “He also allowed me to accompany him in his work as an AE (Water) and consultant in the field, and helped me develop my Legionella risk assessment works and consultancy skills. I formed
As an IHEEM-registered AE, you will be recognised as a peer- reviewed expert in the field, and others will respect your opinion and guidance. If you ever need advice on a particular issue, the other IHEEM-registered AEs are always on hand to help
Steve Mount Associates Ltd in January 2006, and later, working with Dave, we set up Immerse Training, a training company specialising in management of water systems, with a focus on Legionella. I produced 11 City & Guilds-accredited courses, and worked with a small team of experts in delivering on site for clients, local hotels, and conference centres. “My consultancy work gave me an insight
into the procedures/risk assessments/ products that were being endorsed or provided by several water treatment companies. Many of these procedures/risk assessments/products were incorrect or inappropriate; often the main beneficiary was the water treatment company itself. This is what drove me to become an AE (Water), to provide independent and impartial advice and guidance to clients who may not have the expertise, knowledge, and experience. “After speaking at an event in Scotland, I became good friends with Paul Nolan, who I later discovered was an IHEEM-registered AE (Water). Paul suggested I apply to IHEEM to become an AE. Following my registration, Paul and others provided help and advice with the work of an AE, focusing on dealing with clients, provision of recommendations, and report preparation. We often discuss problems and help each other as required – a form of ongoing mentoring. “The process of becoming an IHEEM-
registered AE (Water) is a thorough one, which requires candidates to document their knowledge and experience for review by IHEEM before an interview in which several
experts will review and question you on a wide range of relevant topics. A suitable level of knowledge of legislation and standards and experience is essential. “If you are successful, the benefits
of becoming an IHEEM-registered AE are significant. There are many ‘AEs’ out there, who designate themselves as an AE. However, as an IHEEM-registered AE, you will be recognised as a peer-reviewed expert in the field, and others will respect your opinion and guidance. If you ever need advice on a particular issue, the other IHEEM- registered AEs are always on hand to help. I find this especially useful, as we are not all experts in all fields.”
Launch of IHEEM Mentor
scheme a significant landmark The IHEEM Mentor scheme officially launched earlier this year, with members being invited to attend a full-day training course sponsored by the Institute, delivered by IHEEM Membership and Registration Committee member and long-standing professional mentor, Steven Palmer, supported by the IHEEM Head Office team. The training and launch of the programme mark the commencement of the initiative, which seeks to maximise the networking support and efficacy of mentor-mentee relationships across the healthcare engineering and estates management communities. Mentoring within the IHEEM framework will require all mentors to attend the training to ensure that mentoring delivery and support are offered in line with the Institute’s Code of
August 2024 Health Estate Journal 15
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