Finding a purpose and making an impact: Amanda Riley reflects on her experience of the SoR’s Leadership Mentoring Scheme

About the author

Amanda Riley is an advanced practitioner in frailty within a hospital at home team and AHP lead for an urgent care service. Her role spans advanced clinical practice, leadership, education and system working, with a focus on delivering responsive, person-centred care closer to home for people living with frailty. She is also seconded to the NHS England Faculty for Advancing Practice in the South East, where she supports the development and delivery of advanced practice strategy for AHPs across the region.

Amanda has a particular interest in supporting AHPs in advancing practice, integrated models of care and improving outcomes for older people living with frailty. She completed a Darzi Fellowship, during which she developed and delivered an innovative ‘Ageing Well’ one-stop frailty clinic to improve timely assessment and proactive coordinated care. She has contributed a chapter to an advanced practice textbook and has an article accepted for publication in a prescribing journal examining the impact of variation in prescribing rights and legislative restrictions across the allied health professions.

She recently completed the SoR’s Leadership Mentoring Scheme, an initiative that supports radiographers who wish to move into senior leadership roles by pairing them with a senior mentor.

When I started the mentorship scheme, I found myself at a bit of a crossroads professionally. I knew I still wanted to grow and develop, but I was becoming more interested in purpose and impact than simply ‘the next big role’.

A real turning point for me was undertaking 360-degree feedback. My mentor challenged me to ask colleagues: ‘What’s it like to be on the receiving end of me?’ It wasn’t the easiest question to ask, but it turned out to be one of the most valuable parts of the programme. The feedback was reassuring in many ways – people consistently described me as committed, dependable and someone who follows things through. However, it also revealed patterns that required greater reflection – my tendency to assume responsibility when progress stalls, often stepping in to drive activity forward rather than enabling others to share ownership and accountability.

Through honest reflection, I recognised that this behaviour is partly driven by high personal standards and a desire to demonstrate value, particularly when operating in a temporary seconded role within a system experiencing significant flux and uncertainty. It really encouraged me to take a step back and ask myself whether my actions always truly aligned with what I espouse.

I have gained so much from the guidance I have received and from the high-challenge, high-support mentor-mentee relationship, and I am keen to further invest in my formal development as a mentor and coach to sustain this growth momentum and support others more intentionally.

What is the SoR Leadership Mentoring Scheme?

The Society’s Leadership Mentoring Scheme, led by professional officer Alex Lipton, offers 1-2-1 mentorship pairings for members.

First launched in 2022, the scheme has created 45 mentor-mentee pairings to date, helping mentees gain increased confidence, establish clearer goals for themselves and strive for promotions.

The fourth iteration of the LMS is currently underway, followed by a hiatus for the initiative as SoR reviews the programme.

More information on the scheme is available here.

UKIO 2026: reflections on the pace of change

Attending the UKIO 2026 conference in Liverpool for the first time provided an opportunity to learn about the latest developments in imaging and oncology and reflect on the direction of our profession. Beyond the technology and innovation, what struck me were the collective efforts of learners, practitioners, educators and leaders across the system to adapt, evolve and continue delivering high-quality care within an increasingly challenging healthcare landscape.

UKIO president Shah Islam provided a warm welcome with honest reflections, followed by an engaging keynote from Shafi Ahmed exploring the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence in healthcare, and prompting reflection on where health professionals will sit in the future age of superintelligence. Like many attendees, I left reflecting not only on the pace of technological change, but also on our collective responsibility to ensure we are prepared to actively engage with and embrace AI.

For me, one of the most thought-provoking themes throughout the conference was the continued evolution of radiographer roles. Presentations showcasing mobile imaging services delivered within hospital at home models demonstrated how diagnostic services are increasingly moving beyond traditional healthcare settings, alongside examples of trainee advanced practitioner radiographers working towards assessing, diagnosing, imaging and managing patients within a single episode of care.

Amanda with the SoR’s incoming CEO, Charlotte Beardmore, at UKIO

Amanda with the SoR’s incoming CEO, Charlotte Beardmore, at UKIO

These developments resonate strongly with my professional journey from therapeutic radiography into advanced practice within a frailty hospital at home service. What stood out to me was the growing recognition that radiographers have much more to offer than is sometimes assumed. The skills we develop translate beyond traditional roles and, as healthcare increasingly focuses on prevention, early intervention and community-based care, there is a real opportunity for the profession to broaden its contribution and influence.

One session that particularly stayed with me was Gareth Hill’s discussion about radiographer representation in senior leadership roles. Although the profession has made progress in the advancing practice clinical space, we still don’t see many radiographers in the most senior decision-making positions. It raised important questions about visibility, influence and how we create clearer leadership pathways for the next generation of radiographers.

Meanwhile, the session delivered by Melanie Clarkson and Steph Tempest offered a valuable alternative perspective on professional development. Their exploration of growth-based career planning and the Kawa model challenged traditional perceptions of career progression, encouraging the room to consider purpose, values and impact rather than viewing success solely through the lens of the hierarchical ‘career ladder’.

A personal highlight of the conference was seeing my first article published in the 2026 edition of the SoR’s journal, Imaging & Oncology. The article focused on my move into advanced practice and the opportunities for allied health professionals to support care closer to home. It was a chance to reflect on my journey and to champion the value of skills and experiences that can often transfer across different roles and settings.

Attending UKIO also gave me the opportunity to contribute to an SoR session evaluating the Leadership Mentoring Scheme (LMS), a programme I am privileged to be participating in.

Amanda shared her experiences of the LMS during a session at the UKIO Conference in Liverpool

Looking forward

Leaving UKIO, I felt proud of both my professional journey and being part of such an engaged, committed and supportive profession.

For me, the most significant development over the past six months as an LMS mentee has not been a particular achievement or milestone, but a shift in perspective. Rather than focusing solely on arbitrary linear progression, I have become increasingly focused on sustainability, purpose and impact – and this feels like a stronger foundation for future leadership and, ultimately, a more meaningful measure of success.

More about the SoR’s Leadership Mentoring Scheme

The Leadership Mentoring Scheme is designed to support members who wish to move into senior leadership roles.

The scheme will facilitate a cohort of mentees who will receive one-to-one mentoring from senior leaders within our profession.

The scheme aims to equip mentees with leadership and management skills, increased personal and professional confidence and professional networking.

In addition to attending pre-launch training and the launch event, successful candidates will be expected to join the training and networking events throughout the course of the scheme.