Hello, my name is Amanda Balaam, and I’ve recently started as Evidence and Library Service Manager at Mersey Care. I am not new to the NHS, having been at the Northern Care Alliance as an Assistant Librarian for almost 5 years. Prior to this, my experience is almost 25 years in school libraries, most recently in Suffolk for 20 years, although I am a Northerner born (Yorkshire) and bred (Lancashire)!

I graduated from Liverpool John Moores University, and a few years later was able to complete my Chartership and revalidated this during Covid. It seemed an ideal opportunity to revalidate having completed just over a year in a completely new sector, although the teaching skills I had acquired in schools were totally transferrable to 1-2-1 and group training sessions and inductions.  I’m looking forward to the next step in my career and, having met my new team, have been made really welcome.

Outside of work, I am heavily involved in umpiring badminton – in fact some of you may have seen various tweets in the summer 2022 (courtesy of Northern Care Alliance) of my involvement at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham which was an amazing opportunity and experience! I am also currently the Honorary Secretary for the Badminton Umpires Association of England. When time allows, I also enjoy family history research, although I have hit numerous brick walls at the moment!