An Interview with Kate Hoile, Insurance Lead at Optivet Referrals

Kate is Insurance Lead at Optivet. Her role has grown from a VCA who hadn’t worked in practice before, through receptionist and insurance assistant roles. Kate has a keen interest in neurodiversity and accessibility in the workplace, and is aiming to develop a neurodiversity champion role – a first for her practice!

Key themes – leadership, neurodiversity, non-clinical skills, having the confidence to make a difference with what you know, ensuring you’ve got the right people in the right places with the right training and support

Thanks for agreeing to speak to us Kate. Please could you give us a brief overview of your career to date?

I have been working for Optivet for nearly eight years. After starting as a VCA, I rotated on to reception where I found I had a real passion for helping clients with their queries. I was a full-time receptionist for around a year and was given an opportunity to become an insurance administrator. After the Covid-19 pandemic, I was made an Insurance Lead. I am still in this role; however, I have been recently given the opportunity to become part of the Client Care Management team.

Working with three other leads, it allows me to support our front of house team while focusing on the customer journey through the building. We want to strive as a company for excellent client service, in which, as with any company, there can be pain points. We are here to support our team through positive change.

I am also working towards my Level 5 in the Leadership and Management course which has given me the tools I need to help my team.

What do you feel is most meaningful about working in a support role within the veterinary sector?

The most meaningful part for me of working in a support role is being able to make a difference to our clients while equally valuing our team. I also feel passionate aboutworking with individuals as well as the wider team.

My passion for supporting neurodiversity was sparked when I started to realise that not everyone is the same. I know it sounds obvious and you might think, “Well, why didn’t you already know that?”, but while doing my leadership and management course, I have learnt that all staff members have different learning styles and habits. I am an organised and structured person and I thought my way was the best way – how could anyone not possibly like a to-do list? But some people are more visual and some are more statistical, which is great. We need to embrace all these different learning styles to be able to have a high performing, happy team.

What have you found most challenging about working in veterinary support roles?

My greatest challenge working in a veterinary support role is to manage the expectations and perceptions of others. Many people assume that those in a veterinary support role have a limited understanding of clinical conditions. Part of my role is to reassure our clients that my team and I have that understanding so that when processing claims, we ensure we what is right for them and their beloved pet.

This approach is taken in other departments too. For example, our receptionists are also trained in all areas of the business so that they have an understanding of the whole client journey. This allows them to answer any queries our clients may have at any point or at least direct them accordingly. This can be a challenge in itself. To someone with neurodivergent needs, it could be a little overwhelming. Therefore, part of my role is to overcome this challenge by providing a variety of training materials to suit all needs to give all team members the confidence when providing support.

What skills have you found are most important in veterinary practice, and why?

Resilience and patience. Within the veterinary industry you need resilience to be able to move on from things that have happened in your day. You can get really tough cases that you do feel attached to. You speak a lot to the clients knowing they are worried about their pets and you can take on that worry. At times, you will get knock backs about ideas and processes you want to put in place. You need the patience to know your good idea will be looked and listened to, however if the answer is no, it’s great to have resilience to just say “Okay, not this time, but I will keep striving for positive change.”

How do you feel the veterinary sector could develop to improve staff wellbeing and retention in practices?

I feel passionate about ensuring my team has a safe space and a go-to person to discuss issues or areas they want to improve, on a personal level or relating to the company. I am advocating within my company to have a neurodiversity champion so we can try to achieve a neurodiversity practice standard – which of course, we will go for gold where we can!

I am also proposing a project for a wellbeing area; a place where the staff can take five minutes to refresh and get back on track. I feel the veterinary sector could do more to let their teams know they are valued. Many practices try hard to do this, however, in such a fast-paced sector, it’s not always easy to recognise when someone has gone above and beyond. It is about taking the time to really recognise and listen to your team.

Tell me more about your interest in neurodiversity and accessibility…

I feel within the vet sector there are a lot of neurodivergent behaviours which go unnoticed because we’re all busy professionals with a lot going on. However, if we paid more attention to these behaviours, we could really use this as a benefit. There are strengths to neurodivergent traits such as the ability to focus on intensely on a specific topic, being observant, or having exceptional maths skills. These are a few of many neurodivergent traits which work well within the vet sector.

Recognising these strengths can be challenging for neurodivergent team members and we need to provide the space to discuss these challenges and ensure our teams are built up to be proud of who they are rather than being knocked down for having quirks they feel embarrassed about.

Why are neurodiversity and accessibility important subjects to you?

This is an important subject to me because I previously fell into the trap of seeing professional people as a social stereotype who all worked in the same way. It meant it was easy to feel negative, and that if my team did not follow my instructions, they just weren’t listening. I couldn’t recognise that it could have been for other reasons.

So, for me personally, I really want to spread awareness about the importance of personal growth and learning. There needs to be enough flexibility to allow for team members’ differences whilst still carrying out their roles effectively.

How do you hope that developing a neurodiversity champion role will benefit your practice?

We already do so much as a company and I am proud to say our HR department really do advocate for the staff in our business. It’s our mission to have the team recognise different learning styles and to drive this within our company. I want everyone to recognise that when we see someone struggling, it’s not always because they haven’t got the skills to do the job and consider that perhaps other factors may be stopping them.

What is the top piece of advice you would give to other people considering working in veterinary support roles?

Everyone has a superpower. Whatever that may be for you, embrace it! If you feel passionate or feel you can make a difference, make sure you are heard. Whatever role you have been employed to do; you will add value to that company. Embrace yourself and have confidence in your ability.

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