Interview with a Team Leader
	Name: Raj Vadgama
	Position: Team Leader
	Location: East Regional Control Centre in South Mimms, Hertfordshire

When Raj Vadgama joined the Highways Agency in November 2005 he expected to come across a wide range of people during the course of his job as a Control Room Operator, but meeting the Prime Minister was one thing he didn't expect. But that's exactly what happened when he and a handful of colleagues were invited to an event that recognised those working in the public sector at 10 Downing Street.

Meeting the Prime Minister was just one of the highlights of Raj's time at the East Regional Control Centre in South Mimms, Hertfordshire. He says that working in a close team, getting to talk to different people over the airwaves and facing challenges makes for an interesting and varied job every shift.

Working in a team of 11, Raj is the Team Leader which means he is responsible for delegating duties to other members of the team, checking everyone knows what they are doing and helping the Regional Control room's Team Manager to make sure the shift runs smoothly.

Describing a typical day, Raj, whose previous roles included working in the City and as a college lecturer, says: "When we start shift, it is my job to decide which members of the team will be responsible for what that day. For example I will designate people to take calls from the emergency roadside telephones, monitor radio channels and liaise with the on road crews. I speak to the outgoing shift to find out what they have been dealing with and if there is anything ongoing that will affect us.

"Once the shift starts I will usually monitor all the radio channels, including the communication from the police so that I am aware of what is going on in the room. That way if we have a major incident, I am able to support the Team Manager to make decisions about closing roads or setting diversions because I am aware of other things going on the network which may have an impact if we make certain decisions."

Raj and his colleagues on 'C' shift work a 24hour shift pattern of six days on followed by three days off covering shifts from 6am to 2pm, 2pm to 10pm and 10pm until 6am. Of his team mates Raj says: "We have an excellent team that works well together. We all help each other out and mentor new members of the team to make sure they progress and feel confident about what they are doing."

When it comes to what Raj thinks is the best part of his job, he says it's the fact that no two days are the same. "You really don't know what's going to happen at the start of your shift. You could be dealing with a simple breakdown which is sorted within a matter of minutes or a major road traffic collision where you need to liaise with the on road traffic officers, incident support units and the police to close roads, request emergency services and implement diversion routes" he says.

And what skills does Raj think make an ideal control room operator? "You need to be able to multi-task and look at the bigger picture to ensure that we are making the best decisions for our customers. Be prepared for anything as you never know what's around the corner!"