When Louise Lawson joined Lifeways’ Abbeymoor service as Registered Manager in March 2018, she stepped into a challenging situation. It had been rated ‘Inadequate’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), had attracted negative press and was also subject to a local authority inspection regime.
But Louise took the challenge in her stride. With the support of Lifeways’ management and support functions and recognising the strength of the team she had inherited, she set about driving positive change. Eight years on, Abbeymoor has achieved an ‘Outstanding’ rating for its caring approach, with an overall ‘Good’ rating, alongside a £700,000 refurbishment celebrated with a huge open day earlier this year.
It’s a remarkable turnaround – but it’s just one chapter in Louise’s career story.
A Conversation That Changed Everything
Louise’s journey into care began when a family member needed some extra support. And, as fate would have it, a friend of the family recognised something in her and suggested she would make an excellent psychiatric nurse.
“Back then, I was 18 and working in the local supermarket. I just thought there were nurses in the general hospital and that was it. I didn’t realise there were all these different types of nurses – learning disability nurses, children’s nurses and mental health nurses,” said Louise.
“This lady was an ophthalmic nurse, and she came up to me and said, ‘You’d make an excellent psychiatric nurse. Why don’t you apply?’”
Taking the advice to heart, Louise decided to make a fresh start in Inverness, Scotland, where she began her training as a mental health nurse. Her training gave her experience across a variety of settings, cementing her belief that care was the career path she wanted to follow.
“The entire time I just thought, ‘Yes, this is what I want to do.’
“What I do is a huge part of me as a person, and it’s all for the people we support. It’s all for them, because, you know what, they’ve gone through some challenging sets of circumstances, and they deserve the absolute best.”
After completing her training, Louise spent six months working on an acute mental health ward in the Highlands. Although she loved the experience, after four years in Scotland she was missing home and decided to return to Newcastle, where she began working in a small 20-bed functional elderly mental health unit.
“I loved it, really enjoyed it. Back then, you were graded as a nurse, so I started off as a D-grade nurse. Then, within six months, I was promoted to an E-grade nurse. I was so proud.”
Louise’s career continued to progress quickly. She moved into a clinical lead role supporting working-age adults with mental health needs before progressing into management around 14 years ago.
Since then, she has held a number of roles across different services and organisations, developing her leadership experience along the way. But mental health has remained a constant throughout her career – as has her focus on helping teams deliver the best possible support.
Leading Abbeymoor Through Change
Despite starting at Abbeymoor during a difficult period, it wasn’t long before Louise and the incredible team she had inherited began turning things around. By November 2019, the service had already achieved an overall ‘Good’ rating.
“The support from Lifeways, from the support functions, my team, and management through those testing times at the beginning was phenomenal – it really was.
“The support from Lifeways, for me as a manager, has been nothing short of extraordinary. I’ve never felt that at other places. You can reach out, you can be open and honest, and there’s been no sort of blame culture.”
But for Louise, the real measure of success isn’t an inspection rating – it’s the difference the team makes to the lives of the people they support.
She recalls one person who arrived at Abbeymoor following a tragic accident. At the time, she could only walk around 10 steps with support and was unable to verbalise, communicating through a single repeated word and different tones.
After two years of support from the Abbeymoor team, her life had been transformed. She can now speak coherently, goes to the gym twice a week and enjoys horse riding – even recently returning from the gym to proudly show the team videos of herself lifting kettlebells.
“Not only can she speak coherently now, but she also goes to the gym twice a week, she goes horse riding – she does the works. She is nothing but miraculous. She is such a motivation.
“If you speak to her, she’ll say it’s all down to us at Abbeymoor, but it’s her motivation as well. It’s honestly a tenacity.”
A Career With No Limits
Even after years of working in care, Louise says it is the sense of purpose and satisfaction she gets from making a genuine difference to people’s lives that continues to drive her.
“I can’t explain it, but it’s the warmth that you get, and just the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve made such a change to that person – you’ve made such a difference to that person’s everyday life.
“You don’t get that working at the supermarket.”
That passion for care is something Louise believes is shared across her team, while she also sees huge potential for people who want to build a career in the sector.
“I am so lucky and so fortunate that I come to work, and I love what I do. I love what I do, and I think that radiates through the staff team. We all love what we do, we all go above and beyond.
“And do you know what? The career journey that you can go on, to climb up the ladder, if you have that ambition, if you have that drive and a proactive approach, there’s no stopping you.
“I’ve got staff here at Abbeymoor who have worked up from a support worker to a team leader, then to an advanced healthcare practitioner. If you’re a nursing assistant, you could go on to become a service manager if you want to.”
Well-Deserved Recognition
Louise’s dedication to leadership has also been recognised outside of Abbeymoor, with her named as a finalist in the Clinical Nurse Manager category at the Social Care Leadership Awards 2026.
The nomination recognises Louise’s commitment to leading her team, driving positive change and ensuring the people supported at Abbeymoor receive the highest possible standard of person-centred care.
“It’s an amazing feeling to be nominated for this award, let alone to be named a finalist. I’m so grateful to everyone who put me forward, and it’s really lovely to see the effort I put into a job I genuinely love being recognised,” said Louise.
“I don’t do what I do for awards or recognition – I do it because I care about the people we support at Abbeymoor and want to make a real difference to their lives. But, of course, it’s incredibly special to have that commitment recognised.”
If Louise’s story has inspired you to make a positive difference to the lives of the people we support, why not take the next step? Explore the latest career opportunities at Lifeways and discover where a career in care could take you.
Louise isn’t just anyone – and this isn’t just any job.
