Kyle Blackwood

What does your job involve day-to-day?  

My role is about improving how healthcare services are delivered across our organisation and partners. Day-to-day, I work with clinical and operational teams to identify areas for improvement, support the design of interventions, and facilitate testing and implementing change. This includes facilitating workshops, analysing data, developing strategies, and coaching and training staff in quality improvement methodology. I also collaborate with senior leaders to align projects and initiatives with organisational priorities and ensure we are delivering measurable impact for patients, their loved ones, and staff. A key part of my role is translating complex challenges and theory into practical actions and creating the conditions for teams to innovate, learn, and continuously improve.

What do you enjoy most about your current job? 

I enjoy the opportunity to make a tangible difference to patient care and staff experience. I really value working with diverse teams and bringing people together to solve complex problems. Seeing ideas turn into real improvements is incredibly rewarding. I also really enjoy the variety as no two days are the same – or even all that similar! – and there’s always something new to learn.

Have you done other exciting roles since graduating?  

Since graduating I’ve worked in different roles that have shaped my approach to improvement and transformation. I spent time working as a teacher which developed my confidence in training delivery, facilitation, and adapting to different audiences. I have also worked for a debt advice charity, supporting people in vulnerable circumstances. This role strengthened my engagement skills, empathy, and clear communication – particularly when working with complex or sensitive issues. Alongside this I’ve held several roles within healthcare focused on quality improvement and transformation, bringing these experiences together in my current role.

 How has your degree informed your career so far? 

My degrees in Religious Studies developed core skills in my career, particularly critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and understanding diverse perspectives. These have been invaluable when working across healthcare systems and engaging with people from a range of professional, cultural, and personal backgrounds. My academic studies also strengthened my ability to analyse complex issues, communicate clearly, and reflect on the human impact of decisions. These skills have been especially relevant in the improvement and training aspects of my roles, and is spotlighted when working with vulnerable groups.

What was the most important thing you learned during your time in TRS? 

The most important thing for my career that I learned in TRS was how think critically and engage thoughtfully with complex topics. The course encouraged questioning assumptions, exploring different viewpoints, and grounding arguments in evidence. This way of thinking has remained with me throughout my life and career, particularly when navigating complex systems like healthcare. It has reinforced the importance of empathy, reflection, and understanding context which is vital to my work in improvement, training, coaching, and engagement with staff and service users.

Tell us about your plans for the future 

I am currently completing an MBA in Senior Leadership which is helping me develop my strategic and leadership capability. In the short to medium term I’m keen to expand the reach of my coaching and improvement work across partner organisations, supporting wider system collaboration and learning. Within my organisation, we are also looking to scale our approach more broadly and I’m excited to play a key role in that. Longer term, I aspire to continue growing my leadership portfolio within the improvement sphere, taking on more strategic roles while supporting others to develop their own improvement capability.