With years of experience in care, Ellen Parton has long valued the rewarding nature of her role and the difference it makes to the people she supports.
However, approaching 60 years old, she found it increasingly difficult to secure a position that matched her experience and qualifications, with a feeling that her age was holding her back.
That changed when she rediscovered to Lifeways. Since then, she has made a strong impact and has even started an operations manager apprenticeship to develop her skills further.
From family care to career
From an early age, Ellen was raised by her grandmother. When she was 14, her grandmother developed Alzheimer’s disease, prompting Ellen to leave school early to care for her. She continued looking after her until she sadly passed away just before Ellen’s 21st birthday.
Spending so much time caring for her grandmother shaped Ellen’s future, and she was naturally drawn to a career in care. Although she later left the sector to work in a haulage firm, it wasn’t long before she returned.
Over the years, she has built up wide-ranging experience across the sector, working in areas such as child protection and mental health. Today, From January 2025, she is Registered Manager for Lifeways’ Trent View, Coach House and River Lodge services in Burton-on-Trent, supporting adults with learning disabilities and autism.
“I think the care world has a really bad reputation. I think people see it as a job people do if you can’t do anything else. But it is the most rewarding career you can ever have in your life,” said Ellen.
“Some of the things I’ve done in the 40 years I have been in care are amazing, and if you look back on the amount of people you support over the years, you can’t compare it to any other type of job.”
A return to familiar ground
Ellen previously worked for Lifeways in the mid-1990s when it was still a small company before moving on to a larger firm. Fast forward to recent years, as Lifeways has grown to operate around 1,500 services across the UK, she found herself applying again for a new role after struggling to find work, something she believes was linked to her age.
“Before this job, I applied for a few other roles, and it’s the first time in my life I ever struggled to get a job, and it wasn’t because of a lack of experience or qualifications. I have 30 years of experience in care, and I knew it was because of my age.”
She added: “If people know me, they know I don’t sugarcoat things. When I say something, I mean it. Lifeways is a great company. I said it years ago and I’ll say it again now.
“I always say your job is only as good as your manager, and my manager has been fabulous.”
Development and investment
Ellen made such an impact that Lifeways enrolled her onto an 16-month Level 5 Operations Manager Apprenticeship with Lifetime which supports professionals to create and deliver operational plans, lead and manage teams, coach and mentor, and manage projects change, finances, resources and talent.
“It’s nice to be nearly 60 now and still able to better myself. It shows Lifeways really value their team members and want to invest in them as much as they can.”
Lifeways has invested not only in Ellen’s development, but also in the services she helps run, with all three undergoing significant refurbishment work. Last summer, Trent View reopened following a major investment, River Lodge has also received significant improvements, and Coach House is set to reopen in the coming months after further works.
“In this day and age, you don’t expect your employer to spend the amount of money that Lifeways have,” Ellen added.
The right outlook on life
Drawing on decades of experience in care, Ellen believes it is a profession that depends on the right values and outlook, while skills can be developed over time.
“You need to have the right personality and the right outlook on life, but after that you can learn everything else,” she said.
“You need to be caring, and a sense of humour does help as well.”
If, like Ellen, you are looking for a career making a difference to people’s lives, with opportunities for learning and development, take a look at the latest opportunities here: https://lifeways.co.uk/careers
Ellen isn’t just anyone – and this isn’t just any job.
