Interview with a Team Manager
	Name: Dee Innis
	Position: Team Manager
	Location: Ansty

Dee joined the Highways Agency after many years as a claims manager and specialist corporate investigator. She now works as one of 12 Team Manager in the West Midlands, on 8 hour shifts between 6am and 10pm, managing up to eight on-road Traffic Officers. (Shift patterns may vary to cover 24 hour a day service).

In addition to her on-road duties patrolling the motorways, as a Team Manager her role includes managing a team, their workload and various administrative duties at one of four outstations in the West Midlands region.

“My responsibilities as an on-road Team Manager start as soon as I arrive at my outstation” says Dee. “I check that all the vehicles and radios are booked in from the previous shift and all the equipment, from radios to cones, is in full working order.

“I then conduct a shift de-brief with each two person crew from the outgoing shift and then deliver the information gathered to my shift, before issuing vehicles and equipment, and ensuring all staff have the correct uniform. If I'm on patrol I need to do additional vehicle checks myself to ensure all safety standards are adhered to before I drive on the motorway.

“In an average week I will spend half my time on-road looking out for any incidents or activities on the roads at which we can assist. The other half of my time is spent at the outstation; monitoring the radio and assisting Traffic Officers who are out on patrol, completing paperwork and attending meetings, along with responding to emails and dealing with any issues staff may have.”

“Many drivers are surprised to see a female Traffic Officer. For women drivers who have the misfortune of breaking-down, it is particularly reassuring to be given safety advice by a woman.”

Dee's advice to people considering applying to be a Team Manager: “Make sure you know what the Highways Agency wants to achieve through this service, to provide safe roads, reliable journeys and informed travellers.

“You can't afford to be shy, you need good driving, observation and customer service skills, and you need to be prepared to politely answer questions wherever you're in a Traffic Officer uniform.”