How my heritage shaped my leadership journey

As part of South Asian Heritage Month, Alafiya Sachak, Director of Allied Health Professionals and Nursing at the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, reflects on the values, experiences, and opportunities that have shaped her leadership journey.

South Asian Heritage Month is an opportunity to celebrate our cultures, reflect on our experiences and recognise the values that shape who we are. Looking back on my own journey, I realise that while my career has taken me across continents and into senior leadership, the principles that guide me today were shaped long before I qualified as a speech and language therapist. 

Growing up in India, I was surrounded by a culture that valued education, respect, community and service to others. Those values have remained with me throughout my career and continue to influence how I lead today. 

When I qualified as a speech and language therapist, I never imagined where the profession would take me. I certainly did not have a master plan. Like many clinicians, I began my career focused on making a difference to individual patients.

What I have come to realise over the years is that the impact we can have extends far beyond the people we treat directly. 

My career has taken me across India, the USA and the UK, giving me different perspectives on healthcare, leadership and the importance of communication. After working across adult and paediatric services in both acute and community settings, my passion for improving services and developing teams led me into senior leadership roles, including Head of Therapies. Completing an apprenticeship degree in Applied Management helped prepare me for my current role as Director of Nursing and Allied Health Professionals. 

Finding my place in leadership

Stepping into a leadership role that includes nursing has been one of the greatest privileges and challenges of my career. As a speech and language therapist, I entered a space where very few people have followed the same path. There were times when I questioned whether I belonged, but I kept returning to the values I grew up with: humility, resilience, hard work and putting people first. 

Those values have shaped my approach to leadership. For me, leadership isn’t about having all the answers or holding a particular title. It’s about listening, building relationships, bringing people together and creating an environment where others can thrive. These are qualities we develop every day as speech and language therapists, and they have become the foundation of how I lead. 

The importance of representation

Representation has also become increasingly important to me. Early in my career, I rarely saw people with backgrounds similar to mine in senior leadership positions. Seeing someone who shares aspects of your identity in a leadership role can make a real difference. It helps people believe that they belong and that those opportunities are within reach. 

One of the best decisions I made was saying “yes” to opportunities. When one of the founders of the British Indian Allied Health Professionals Association (BIAHPA) invited me to join the leadership committee, I wasn’t sure what I was signing up for but it has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. 

Being part of BIAHPA has reinforced the importance of representation, mentorship and supportive professional networks. It has connected me with inspiring colleagues across the country and created opportunities to support others to build confidence, develop their careers and overcome barriers. I am also proud to chair the AHPs Deliver South East Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Forum, bringing together AHP leaders to share learning and champion inclusion across the region. 

Looking to the future

South Asian Heritage Month is not only about celebrating our history and culture; it is also about recognising the contribution that South Asian colleagues make to the NHS every day. Our different experiences strengthen our teams, broaden perspectives and ultimately help us provide better care for our patients and communities. 

My hope is that we continue to see more speech and language therapists and more colleagues from underrepresented backgrounds stepping into senior leadership roles. Our profession equips us with exceptional skills in communication, collaboration, problem solving and compassion, all of which are invaluable in leadership.

If I could offer one piece of advice, it would be this: say yes to opportunities, find mentors and don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone. Every challenge is an opportunity to learn and grow.

I remain incredibly proud to be a speech and language therapist, proud of my South Asian heritage and grateful for the opportunities that have shaped my journey. The values I learned growing up continue to shape the leader I am today. If my journey demonstrates anything, it is that there is no limit to what we can achieve as speech and language therapists, or indeed anyone from a different background. We belong not only alongside our patients, but also in the rooms where decisions are made that shape the future of healthcare.