Behind every expert witness case is a skilled client manager who manages the many moving parts.
In Episode 3 of “In the Pod, In conversation with,” we meet Sinead and Chloe, both Client Managers on Psychology Direct’s Expert Witness team.
They discuss the realities of their roles, the biggest challenge they’ve had to navigate, and the best advice they’ve received.
Whether you’re curious about expert witness case management or the diverse career paths that lead people to this field, this episode offers genuine insights into both the profession and the people behind it.
Chloe: Welcome to In The POD In Conversation With Client Managers Sinead Cole
Sinead: Hey
Chloe: and Chloe Beaumont. Today we’re going to be sharing some stories and just giving you a little peek behind the scenes at life here at Psychology Direct. So I’ll hand it over to Sinead.
Sinead:
How would you describe what we do at Psychology Direct for someone who has never heard of us before?
I think the easiest way to explain it, we are sort of like the middleman. So we are the connection for the solicitors and local authorities to a plethora of experts of all different specialities.
We specialise obviously in psychologists and psychiatrists. But a solicitor or local authority will approach us, they’ll need assistance with one of their clients. So it could be anything from, you know, a family case where someone needs a mother and a child assessed, or it could be a criminal case where someone has a defendant, you know, with an upcoming trial, and they need to know whether or not their client is fit to plead, things of that nature.
Chloe: Yeah. And you know what that actually feeds in so well to the next question, because that is, what do we do here? And in a nutshell we are the middlemen.
We stand in between the solicitors and the experts and even the courts as well we communicate with the courts on behalf of the experts, we manage all of the paperwork for them, we make sure all the funding is in, we contact relevant parties for them, we communicate messages from one party to another, we make sure everything’s robust as well at the finishing stages in regards to the report formulation and layout and making sure that everything’s in place and easy to navigate for the courts as well.
Sinead:
How long have you been here, Chloe?
Chloe: So I’ve been here about three years now. I had my third work birthday in June. But it’s gone by so fast.
Sinead: yeah and it feels like you have been here since I started.
Chloe: Yeah, I know. It feels like I’ve been here for ages.
What were you doing before you joined Psychology Direct and what made you do the switch?
Sinead: So before Psychology Direct, I was working as a paralegal, for years, years, I’m talking eight, eight plus years. I actually used to manage a criminal defence solicitors firm. It was majorly, majorly stressful. The role in itself was all self-employed and there wasn’t any work life balance.
You just, you get up in the morning, you work, you’re going to bed at night, you’re working. There was no work life balance. I myself have a small family. There was just no in between. You just worked, worked, worked I used to find it really difficult when to take off my work hat and put on my relaxing hat.
So when the position came up at Psychology and Psychiatry Direct, it was just a no brainer. It seemed to really go in line with everything I was looking for. You know, they promote healthy working hours they promote that work life balance, you’ve got the flexibility of being able to work from home.
It was just a no brainer for me and obviously it was a bit of an odd one because I was doing the role from the other side of the fence. So when solicitors come to us and they want the quotes, I was once the person asking for the quotes and now the person giving them. What about you?
Chloe: For me, very similar to you, I am someone who classifies freedom as being able to have that flexible role, that flexible life, work balance and so when this job came up, especially seeing as I was just starting to study psychology back then, I was like, this role came forward and it just aligned, and also in a company where I can help people. Because that’s what we do.
Sinead: Yeah.
Chloe: We assist these experts and the solicitors to be able to bring the truth out and bring that to court and I’ve had opportunities since I’ve been here. I was invited to the Hypnotherapy Association by one of our experts.
Sinead: Oh, wow.
Chloe: George Dimitrov to basically give a presentation on some of the stuff that I’m learning in the psychological field. So it’s also given me opportunities in this way that have branched out. So, yeah, that’s what I love about working at Psychology Direct and the culture as well, and then just having a great team in our department, being able to bounce off each other.
You don’t get that a lot.
Sinead: No, you don’t. You don’t, indeed. So let’s go on to our next one.
What’s the biggest challenge in your role so far and how did you tackle it?
So I would say not even just in my role, I’m sure you’ll agree Chlo, pretty much. I don’t know if we can speak for the whole company, but I do know that our department was really affected by the legal aid hacking.
Chloe: Yes. Oh, yes.
Sinead: That had a massive, massive impact on our department and it was all kind of came out of the blue, and obviously, a lot of the people that we do work with, or that, you know, the solicitors are referring over to us, they are legal aid clients.
These are people, they’re suffering with either, like mental health, they’re on a low income, so they do rely on the legal aid agency and the funding from the legal aid agency to help them fight these matters. So when the hacking took place, it had a massive burden on, not just our department but our clients that we work with, the solicitors and the local authorities who also heavily rely on that funding to be able to assist their clients.
And I think, one major impact, obviously, apart from the obvious one being financially, it took its toll on everyone. Everyone was scared about even let’s put ourselves aside, our clients. How they were going to fund future cases, how they were going to keep their solicitor firms and stuff afloat because they just didn’t have the money coming in at that time.
I think that’s a massive, massive thing that we’ve had to tackle so far as a department.
Chloe: Yeah and we completely understand the impact that it’s having as well, for them to know that we understand it, instead of us just continuing to move as a cog in the big machine without considering how this is going to affect our clients.
Because, yeah, even like I don’t know, you probably had the same situations, but I’ve had solicitors come to me and they’re like, they’re panicking. They want to push the instructions through, they want justice to be brought to court and for them, they’re moving into a space of almost like, would you mind pushing this through?
Like, the funding is all backed up and us just meeting them in a space and just being just compromising to a certain level. Like, I think we were all learning together, weren’t we? It was a new experience for everyone.
Sinead:
So how has your role or perspective changed since you started and what’s something meaningful you’ve learned along the way?
Chloe: That definitely different perspectives are to be respected.
We work in a department with very strong personalities, work in a company with very strong personalities. We work with experts who have very strong personalities and solicitors, like the type of, you go get it, type of energy that we all have can clash if we don’t exercise the right to sort of listen and respect how other people feel.
Just because we all see things differently doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be the ones to really like tap in, listen to what people are saying. Because at the end of the day, the more sides that you get to something, the more that you get to expand your level of consciousness on that.
Sinead: Most definitely.
Chloe: So that’s how I sort of feel like with perspectives growing up, it was almost like I was always told your perspective is wrong, period. And it took me to go on quite a long journey to be like, no, like my perspective is valid equally as everyone’s around me, even if it clashes, even if it doesn’t align together and I think that we’ve definitely been on a journey like this, even just the way that we had to come together with the legal aid agency and we had to pitch different ideas from all of our different experiences.
You being in the solicitor field as well, like, that was so valuable. I’ve never been in the solicitors field but I come from like a spiritual background so I could bring some certain things from that, that side of my life into perspectives that would help.
I believe in energies and the push and pull of like manifesting, especially when it comes to business as well. So yeah, I reckon that is a big one for me.
Sinead: I think when I look at, in the grand scheme of things, one thing it has actually taught me is obviously like you said, coming from the solicitor’s point of view coming over to this side, it made me realise how important it is that everyone is doing their role, especially you know, solicitors just think of, oh, I’ve got to do my bit and then that’s my bit done.
We could kind of sometimes think, oh, we’ve just got to do our bit and then that’s our bit done. But if everyone isn’t pushing at the same time, it can really have adverse effects on everybody. So Chloe,
If you had to sum up the culture at Psychology Direct in a sentence or two, what would you say?
Chloe: This is a tricky one. Culture at Psychology Direct in a sentence or two. I would say that the culture here is very free flowing and your wellbeing is something that is definitely honoured.
We are around a lot of intelligent people who I think definitely, we love to create an environment of inclusivity. Can never say that word.
Sinead: Instantly in my head I had the word happy go lucky so
Chloe: I like that I really like, like a creative open space.
Sinead: Yeah. Everyone’s so different as well. There’s I don’t think there’s any two people alike in the whole company. Everyone is so different and we all offer very different things.
Chloe: Yeah, we do. We are all very different and as well though, like we have fun and frolics twice a week. It’s not something I’ve experienced before in other companies where we.
Sinead: No it was so bizarre. My first fun and frolics that I done was so bizarre. It was so because I couldn’t get my head around it. But I actually look forward to it now.
Chloe: Yeah, me too. I remember my first few and I just remember sitting there smiling because I was like, are we actually all just meeting as a company to play games and have fun.
Sinead: You know, it sets you up good for the day though, doesn’t it? It sets you up good for the day. And this probably goes on to the next question.
What’s your favourite part about working here?
I think to go back to what you said Chloe, about wellbeing and stuff like that something as simple as fun and frolics you could be, you could have woken up and had such a horrible day, You know, sometimes you do, you just wake up whether it’s on the wrong side of the bed or in a bad mood and you log on to something like fun and frolics.
Chloe: I think my favourite part about working here is the wellbeing, is the culture surrounding wellbeing that we have.
Sinead: Yeah. And it gives company wide, you have very much more of a like a family feel. It feels more like a family here than a workplace. Yeah, you know.
Chloe: Absolutely and like at the end of the day, if you are a company who is looking after your employees wellbeing, like genuinely, then you will genuinely get the best versions of them. Because when you’re working in a space where you feel suppressed, you’re not going to get the best version of your employees.
You’re going to get bits and pieces of them. But there’s going to be so many blockages. It’s just, it’s not the right energy. I feel to make a business thrive. You need to unblock people. You need to let them express themselves. Like you need to meet them at a certain level and let them know that I care about your wellbeing.
Sinead: Most definitely.
Chloe: If you need to talk, I’m here. It’s such a precious thing that we’re seeing more and more now grow in different companies as time goes forward. But I’m definitely an advocate for that.
Sinead: Yeah. A thousand percent.
So what’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received Chlo, whether it’s work related or not?
Chloe: The best piece of advice I would say for me is you know other people that might judge you or people that have like negative feelings towards you or thoughts towards you. The best piece of advice that I’ve been given is at the end of the day your only responsibility is how you think about yourself and not
Sinead: I thought you were going to say at the end of the day, the day will end. I was going to go that’s a great one, Chlo.
Chloe: I think day’s end, or maybe it’s just one long day, I’m not even sure. But yeah, when you are coming up against that, it can be hard sometimes because the opinions of others can sometimes really get to you.
It can crush your morale, it can make you feel insecure, it can bring you down in ways that do not serve you. So for me, knowing that if someone doesn’t like me, that’s not my responsibility to fix, it’s actually their problem with themselves and their thoughts and their feelings and if there’s something going on there, they might have lack within themselves.
But for me, it’s my responsibility to speak to myself in a good way and give myself self love and not to put onto myself the opinions of other people.
What would you say you like yours is?
Sinead: I can’t even think. You know, I don’t know if anyone actually gives me advice or I’m the one always giving out advice. The best advice I’ve ever been given is take my own advice.
No, I think, well, it kind of ties into that. I don’t know if it’s advice or not, but just always trust your gut.
Like, always trust your gut. There’s a plethora of examples I could give you, but I don’t think this podcast is the place for it. So but yeah, I think it’s the best best advice I’ve ever given is always trust yourself. Trust your gut instinct. Trust what your body is telling you.
Chloe: Absolutely. Yeah.
Sinead: We’re getting a bit heavy here, so let’s, let’s do a bit of a lighter one.
Would you rather always have to sing instead of speaking or dance everywhere you go? And why?
I think I’d rather dance everywhere I go only because my singing voice is terrible and I wouldn’t want to, like, impact anybody with that.
Chloe: That is very thoughtful for the environment. Well, I already do both. I sing and dance all the time. That’s usually how I start my mornings. Like, I will watch a motivational video and then I will literally sing and dance to raise my vibration and just get anything stuck out of my body.
It makes me feel really happy. So I couldn’t choose because I feel like when you start singing, dancing naturally comes with that.
Sinead: So,
What’s one surprising or fun fact about you, Chlo, that most of the team wouldn’t know?
I feel like we know everything about each other, so that one’s a bit difficult. But go on, hit me with something I don’t know.
Chloe: Yeah, actually, that is because we are so close, we know so much, about each other. We’re literally here any life events we are supporting each other and cheering each other on and because I’m so open with you girls.
I mean, I’m weird. I’m so weird sometimes. And, like, you guys just accept me for that and you love me for who I am.
Sinead: I’m trying to think of one, and I can’t even think of one off top of my head. Did you know that I used to have a nail salon?
Chloe: Really?
Sinead: Yes, I did. Yeah. I used to have my own nail salon back in. When was it? I think it was like, 20. 2016, I want to say maybe even earlier than that. Yeah, I used to have my own nail salon with my friend.
Big up Julia, we used to have our own nail salon and then one day I came in and I just went, I don’t want to do this anymore. And, I left and went to go and do my access to law course and then just never looked back. But I used to do acrylic nails.
Chloe: Wow, that is so interesting.
I never knew, like, we’re literally, like, we know everything about each other and I’m like, oh, I obviously don’t. Wow. That’s so cool.
I can actually relate to that, like, because I did a trade as well when I was, like, younger. But in honesty, it was like a means to an end because I just needed to find a way to support myself because I was out young.
And then I remember the day when I was like, I’m just so done. I’m ready for change and then I flew to Greece and started managing hotels and, like, that’s when I started just falling in love with travelling. I love travelling so much. But something interesting that you don’t know about me.
Sinead: Well, I’ve got one that everyone knows that we absolutely love working at Psychology and Psychiatry Direct.
That’s a fun fact that everyone can have, we love having everyone else on board as well, the lovely people that’s with us.
Chloe: Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. It is a beautiful design, isn’t it, really? I think this is probably one of the best work workplaces that I’ve worked in.
Sinead: A thousand percent. Well, I think before we get all soppy, I think we should end our episode here then. Chloe.
Chloe: Yeah, I think absolutely.
Sinead: Thank you, everyone, for listening. We hope that this has provided some insight into our role as client managers and the sector that we work in at Psychology Direct as a whole.
Chloe: Thank you for being here with us. Bye.
Sinead: Bye.
If you want to work with Psychology Direct you can Access Expert Psychologists using our contact form here: Psychology Direct
If you’re looking for Psychiatric Services, you can use our contact form here: Psychiatry Direct
