Ian Burgos
Ian is the Team Leader of an Adult Mental Health Assertive Outreach Team at Mercy Health. It’s a fast-paced and diverse environment supporting individuals with complex and enduring mental health conditions, and Ian’s day-to-day work involves coordinating clinical care, supporting his team, and managing dynamic risk situations – often in community or home settings.
‘Risk assessments are a key part of my role,’ he says, ‘and I make sure these are consistently updated to keep staff, clients and myself safe. I also liaise regularly with multidisciplinary professionals and external agencies to ensure clients receive comprehensive, person-centred support.’
Given the nature of their work – which is often in unpredictable environments – Ian says it’s critical that staff feel supported, heard and protected, so becoming an HSR was a natural, obvious choice.
‘I chose to become a Health and Safety Representative (HSR) because I believe that safety is foundational to good mental health care’, says Ian Burgos.
‘I wanted to ensure safety is part of our everyday culture and not just something we talk about after an incident,’ he emphasises.
‘Being an HSR gives me the opportunity to advocate for practical improvements and help embed safety into everything we do.’
His HSR responsibilities also naturally align with his leadership role, he says. Day to day, he supports staff with safety concerns, conducts and reviews risk assessments, and helps to ensure safe practices in community-based work.
‘This includes lone-working procedures, responding to incidents, and raising safety concerns at team and service-wide meetings,’ he clarifies. ‘I also act as a bridge between staff and management when safety-related issues arise, making sure concerns are addressed and followed up appropriately. Being an HSR enhances my role – it’s another way I can support staff wellbeing and client safety.’
Indeed, Ian finds it rewarding to be someone colleagues feel they can turn to, and to see tangible improvements based on feedback.
‘Knowing that people feel safer at work because of changes we’ve made together is incredibly fulfilling,’ he says. ‘It’s the best part of the role: being able to make a real difference to staff wellbeing.’
Speaking of making a real difference, Ian shares that one key success he’s has as an HSR was improving after-hours working protocol after staff raised concerns. ‘We introduced a check-in/check-out system that’s now embedded in our daily practice and has been adopted
across the wider service,’ he explains.
“ Being an HSR enhances my role – it’s another way I can support staff wellbeing and client safety.”
‘Another positive change,’ he adds, ‘was supporting additional risk training added to our staff development programme – this has boosted staff confidence and improved our response to challenging behaviours.
‘These wins have enhanced safety while reinforcing a culture of care and responsiveness,’ he notes.
Ian encourages others to think about becoming an HSR themselves.
‘If you’re passionate about supporting others and making your workplace safer,’ he says, ‘I’d absolutely recommend taking on the role. You don’t need to be an expert: you just need to listen, be approachable, and take action when it’s needed. It’s also a chance to grow professionally, influence positive change and help build a culture where safety and staff wellbeing are genuinely prioritised.’
