As Claims Manager, Caitlyn oversees our in-house claims team, looking after clients, supporting the team and liaising with insurers.
Caitlyn joined H&H Insurance Brokers in May 2025 from NFU Mutual in Hexham and divides her week between our Carlisle and Hexham offices. She lives just outside Hexham with her partner Lewis and their two rescue cats, Poppy and Olive. The couple live close to Lewis' family farm and also have some land at home where they keep a flock of sheep.
I joined H&H Insurance Brokers because they are an established, well-known agricultural insurance broker, especially in our region. Learning about their future growth plans and ambitions drew me in, and it soon became clear that now is a really exciting time to be part of the team.
As Claims Manager, my role is to help the team deliver the best possible service, from handling claims to supporting the claims handlers. I also work with the wider HHIB team to ensure clients have the right protection and are prepared if a claim happens. I’m always looking at ways we can work more effectively, whether that’s adopting new technology, improving our processes or keeping our knowledge up to date. My role also involves working with insurance companies and loss adjusters to make sure the service they provide meets our clients’ expectations.
A typical day involves speaking to clients on the phone or in the office, either discussing new claims, handling enquiries or liaising with insurance companies. We always want to achieve the best outcome for clients so we’ll often put our heads together to agree the best course of action. Occasionally, I’ll meet a client on-site if they’ve had a large loss and need extra support.
My favourite part of the job is helping clients. When someone gets in touch to make a claim, they can be at a really low point. They may have suffered a devastating loss, they could be injured, or lost something they’ve put their life's work into. It’s great when we can deliver the outcome a client hopes for. Sometimes the most difficult conversations are the most rewarding because we need to work even harder to build trust and help in whatever way we can.
Listening is a vital part of the job. It’s important to give your full attention as it’s not always what someone is telling you, but how they say it or what’s left unsaid, that can be most telling. If a client is really struggling with something, listening carefully can help them to open up so we can get to the heart of an issue and offer advice to find a solution and move things forward.
The best thing about working at H&H Insurance Brokers is the team. We have a wealth of experienced insurance minds and I get to work with a team of talented, professional people who genuinely care and want to work together to succeed together.
My first job in insurance was working for a firm which carried out surveys for insurance claims where properties were damaged by subsidence. I then worked for NFU Mutual in Hexham for eight years. Over the years, I got to know many local farmers and business owners through my role in commercial and farm insurance. This included looking after livestock insurance for seasonal tup and bull sales, as well as being the main claims handler for the agency.
Outside work, I enjoy walking and try to get outdoors most nights after work and at weekends. I live close to Hadrian's Wall and we have lots of other Northumbrian landmarks nearby, so I like to choose routes in our local area. I enjoy exploring historical places or castles, it’s a bonus if I can find somewhere with a supposed haunted history. I also try to lend a hand with the sheep at home where I can be of use. I like going to agricultural shows over the summer months, showing the sheep or attending auction sales.
In three words, my friends would describe me as funny, loyal and tall!