A DEGREE in ecology might not be the most obvious background for a chief executive of Highland Hospice.
However, Kenny Steele, who took over the role three months ago, has taken a career path from the environment to the health service in quite a literal way.
"I got into the links between environment and health and through that I started a successful programme called Paths For All," explained Kenny, who is originally from the Falkirk area.
The programme, which encourages people across Scotland to take steps towards improving their own health by making use of public paths, is still going strong, but through his work with the group, Kenny (43) became more interested in the wider issue of health. He made the move into the National Health Service and spent two years as general manager for medicine and diagnostics at Raigmore Hospital.
"Then the hospice job came up and for me it was the perfect combination," he said.
"Through my experience with Paths For All I’m passionate about the ability of the voluntary sector to provide good service, and this job also allows me to bring my health service experience."
Delivering a service to its patients is paramount to the Hospice and its staff, even if it does deal with one aspect of health care we are least willing to talk about.
"Death is the one inevitable thing that will happen to us, but we are very poor at talking about it and how we want that to happen," Kenny said.
However, as Kenny points out, the Hospice is not about dying, it is about delivering care for people in the last year of their life — and 12 months can be a very long time.
One advantage Highland Hospice has in delivering that service is the widespread support shown in the community, something demonstrated by the fact that it hits its £2.5 million fundraising target each year.
The other side of that huge support, with people across the Highlands personally touched by the care provided by the Hospice, is a huge responsibility to the patients and their families.
This extends to many more than the 10 in-patients at the Ness-side Hospice itself, with patients attending the Hospice day hospital or helped by its outreach services in Thurso, Skye, Fort William and Invergordon.
"We have excellent clinical and care staff at the Hospice. My background isn’t a clinical one, but it’s very important that I do speak to the patients and their families. That all helps provide motivation for the job we are doing," Kenny said.
"It’s always challenging moving into a new area and immersing yourself in a new job, but it’s been a great three months. The diversity of the job is very fulfilling and there is that satisfaction in seeing the results of the care we provide."
As well as taking him into aspects of clinical and medical work, Kenny’s new job has made him a retailer, with 11 Hospice shops helping raise funds across the Highlands.
These are manned by just some of the 600 Hospice volunteers whose tasks range from maintenance of the Hospice garden to working with the patients themselves.
"If those 600 people weren’t doing that, we would have to pay people to do the same things. They are a tremendous asset to us," Kenny pointed out.
"David Cameron, the Prime Minister, is using the idea of the Big Society as if it was something new, but the Hospice has been running social enterprise initiatives for years through its shops. They are the original social enterprise — the public donate goods and we sell them to make money. We are not just about asking people for money, we are also about making money."
The recently released CD of Gaelic Christmas music, "Brìgh na Nollaig", featuring traditional music stars like Julie Fowlis, Kathleen MacInnes and Bruce MacGregor, is another example, in this case a donation of talent and rights rather than physical goods.
"You have to be creative," Kenny continued.
"That can be quite exciting because in a sense you are in charge of your own destiny. It adds a level of risk you don’t have in the public sector. It all helps you get out of bed in the morning."
Because people have chosen to give the Hospice their money and support, it perhaps means there is even more of an onus on Kenny and his team to keep costs down and ensure that money is used wisely.
"Nobody joins the voluntary sector for financial reward," Kenny stated.
"It’s a job and you do get paid, but the motivation is being able to deliver something for the community. If you are motivated by other things there are other sectors you would be better off working in."
Kenny has taken on his new role at the Hospice at an exciting time. Its last five-year strategy phase has just come to an end. Now is the time for the Hospice to look ahead, though Kenny believes a three-year plan is more manageable and fears there is a danger that momentum could be lost over too long a timescale.
Next year’s 25th anniversary celebration provides an opportunity to look back at the earlier years of a successful organisation, but Kenny believes there is always more which could be done.
One ambition is to provide Hospice in-patients with single rooms, but he would also like to see an increase in the number of beds generally.
"The other thing I’d like to extend is our outreach services," he added.
"That’s always a challenge with our geographical area, but using technology to overcome that is something we would like to explore. Even through Skype and social networks like that, we will be able to support people who may feel socially isolated."
As well as communicating with patients, Kenny is also keen on harnessing technology to improve links with the health professionals the Hospice works with or advises on palliative care, but also to hear what the public expect from the Hospice.
"Part of the work of the Hospice is to educate people as to what to expect from end-of-life care," he said.
"That’s a double-edged sword because it means we have to access the resources to be able to meet those expectations."
As part of the 25th anniversary celebrations, one proposal is to host a high-profile conference with other organisations involved in the care of the terminally ill.
"The work we do in the Highlands, particularly because of the unique geography, provides an opportunity for the Highland Hospice to really lead, especially when it comes to rural health care," Kenny said.
"There is interest across the world in what we do and our ability to deliver to remote rural areas."
His role as chief executive brings with it a much higher public profile than Kenny had in his previous job at Raigmore.
"You do have to put yourself out there," he said, admitting that being called on to lead the zumba warm-up ahead of the recent It’s a Knockout fundraiser was well outside his comfort zone.
"The more the profile I can raise in my job, the better for the Hospice. That’s one aspect that again is quite appealing."
What also appeals is that the responsibility for the Hospice’s success or failure ultimately rests on his shoulders, though he still has a responsibility to the board.
"Although in the NHS I worked at quite a high level, there are always lots and lots of layers above you," he said.
With his wife Sarah also professionally involved in the environmental sector, and currently a consultant on crofting issues, Kenny likes to escape into the countryside when he gets the chance — which with children aged 14, 11 and six is not very often.
"They’ve all got very different interests," he added,
"The oldest is into music, the middle one is a bit of a sports star and is regularly in The Courier for judo and athletics and became Scottish judo champion for her age group this year, the youngest one hasn’t quite sussed what he’s into yet — which is good because I can’t afford the time!
"But as anyone who’s got kids knows, they keep you pretty grounded."
