Key points:
- Sarah Greenway, CEO of MDT Online, has over 30 years of experience in operational roles spanning frontline, leadership, advisory, commercial, hospital, community, and third-sector settings.
- Sarah’s mission is simple—helping health and social care workers prioritize their well-being so they can provide better care for others.
- Her company, MDT Online offers coaching, supervision, and training to help healthcare professionals thrive both emotionally and professionally.
Imagine a nurse finishing a demanding 12-hour shift, feeling physically exhausted and emotionally drained—expected to care for others while neglecting her own well-being. Sarah Greenway, CEO of MDT Online, understands this reality all too well. With over 30 years of diverse operational experience across multiple sectors, including hospitals, she has witnessed firsthand the relentless pressure healthcare professionals face. Instead of accepting this as an inevitable truth, she chose to take action.
“If we want healthcare workers to give their best, we must first help them refill their emotional and professional cups,” asserts Sarah. Through MDT Online, Sarah has created more than just a platform; it’s a lifeline for health and social care professionals, offering tailored coaching, supervision, and training that combine human connection with cutting-edge solutions.
What sets Sarah apart isn’t just her clinical expertise; it’s her unique leadership style. Infused with laughter, joy, and empathy, she champions a culture where well-being is not an afterthought but a foundation. Her belief in leading with compassion and a touch of humor has not only transformed her team but also inspired an entire industry to rethink how it supports its most valuable resource: its people.
In this story, we explore Sarah’s innovative approach to professional development, her vision for a sustainable health and social care sector, and how she is turning the ripple of well-being into a wave of transformation.
“At the heart of the legacy, I hope to leave is a deep, unwavering commitment to redefining how we approach the mental health and well-being of healthcare professionals.”
GHM: Given your extensive experience in healthcare, what specific needs of healthcare professionals inspired you to create MDT Online?
Sarah: Having worked as a registered nurse for over 30 years across various healthcare settings, I’ve seen firsthand the daily pressures healthcare professionals face. These include demanding workloads, emotionally draining situations, and high-stakes decision-making. These factors can quickly deplete resilience without proper support.
A key issue I noticed was the lack of consistent, high-quality professional coaching and supervision to support the emotional well-being of nurses, social workers, and other frontline staff. Often, these crucial support systems were treated as a “tick box exercise” to meet compliance targets, rather than a meaningful opportunity for professionals to recharge, reflect, and develop their practice.
This problem became even more apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic when I returned to the NHS frontline. I witnessed the immense toll the crisis took on my colleagues. This experience, combined with my post-graduate training in international safeguarding and certification as a Master NLP Coach, motivated me to find a real solution.
Consequently, I created MDT Online, leveraging a white-labeled platform integrated with our app to deliver accessible, affordable, and impactful supervision and coaching services specifically designed for health and social care professionals. This is my third start-up, and I also lead The Healing Hubs Charity.
My passion for MDT Online comes from a deep belief that supporting the emotional and professional development of healthcare workers empowers them to provide the best possible care. I hope MDT Online will become a vital resource, helping professionals “refill their emotional cup” and continue their important work.
GHM: What specific services does MDT Online offer to support the well-being and professional development of healthcare workers?
Sarah: MDT Online specializes in professional and personal development services within the health and social care sectors. Our mission is to transform the well-being and professional development of healthcare workers through accessible, impactful, and tailored supervision and coaching.
We believe that by empowering frontline professionals to prioritize their own emotional and psychological needs, we enable them to provide the highest quality care.
Our offerings include:
- Leadership and Management Training: As an ILM Approved Centre, we provide tailored training programs for leaders at various career stages: Level 2 (Team Supervisors), Level 3 (Junior Managers), Levels 4/5 (Middle Managers), and Levels 6/7 (Senior Managers and Senior Strategic Managers—coming soon).
- Health and Social Care Consultancy Services: We offer comprehensive consultancy services, both remote and in-person, focusing on solution-focused auditing, troubleshooting, and change management. Our approach uses appreciative inquiry, coaching, and mentoring techniques to deliver high-quality, tailored solutions.
- Occupational Services for Healthcare Providers: Recognizing the importance of staff supervision for enhancing healthcare service quality and meeting Care Quality Commission (CQC) requirements, we provide confidential, medical-grade online platforms for supervision services. These services promote accountability, professionalism, and continuous improvement.
- Online Learning Subscriptions: We offer online learning subscriptions, primarily for health and social care organizations, providing high-quality training resources for ongoing professional development.
GHM: How does MDT Online ensure a safe and effective environment for supervision and coaching?
Sarah: We recognize the sensitive and often deeply personal nature of supervision sessions. Therefore, we’ve invested in a virtual clinic space with a user-friendly mobile app. This allows clients to safely access support from any device, whether at work or remotely.
Through this platform, we foster a culture of transparency, trust, and open communication between management and operational teams. We offer customized supervision and coaching programs that address the unique challenges healthcare workers face in various settings. This provides a safe, judgment-free space for professionals to reflect on their practice, develop their skills, and build personal resilience.
Ultimately, we aim to bridge the gap between compliance-driven support and meaningful, transformational personal and professional development, contributing to the long-term sustainability and excellence of healthcare.
GHM: What makes your team effective in driving MDT Online’s mission?
Sarah: I have a great team of passionate, caring, committed, and focused people. Leading organizations positioned to impact others’ lives generates momentum within a team. They become passionate about being part of something bigger than themselves. Our challenges become achievable goals, and we walk the walk as well as talk the talk.
Moreover, I firmly believe that laughter, joy, and human connection are essential for effective, empathetic leadership. Drawing on my training as a laughter yoga teacher, I deeply appreciate the transformative power of this simple yet profound form of self-care and team building.
GHM: Would you like to share any upcoming developments at MDT Online?
Sarah: We are excited to announce a new service pending registration with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). This nurse-led remote advisory and health promotion service will support family carers and clients living independently at home.
Similar to our professional supervision service, it will offer emotional support, advice, encouragement, and signposting to other professional services. This initiative aims to promote early intervention and prevent the escalation of physical or mental health issues.
GHM: What advice do you have for healthcare professionals to prioritize their mental well-being, and how does MDT Online support them in this area?
Sarah: I deeply empathize with the unique challenges and pressures that can affect mental health in this demanding field. I firmly believe prioritizing your own mental well-being is not just personal, but professionally necessary.
My key advice is to embrace self-awareness, establish boundaries, cultivate a support network, prioritize self-care, and advocate for systemic change by working with your organization to improve the work environment and culture. MDT Online is committed to being a steadfast partner in this journey, providing accessible, impactful supervision services that empower health and social care professionals to prioritize well-being, build resilience, and continue delivering exceptional care.
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“I firmly believe that prioritizing your own mental well-being is not just a personal imperative, but a professional necessity.”
