When Helen joined Green Light PBS in 2014, she was doing the kind of work that often goes unseen. Long shifts. Challenging days. Supporting people through moments of distress, uncertainty and breakthrough. Like so many support workers across social care, she simply got on with the job — helping people live safe, independent and fulfilling lives.
More than a decade later, Helen is now the Registered Manager of one of Green Light PBS’s most complex services. But ask her colleagues what makes her different, and they all say the same thing: she has never forgotten what it feels like to be on the frontline.
“She truly understands the shoes of her team,” one colleague explains. “Everything she says comes from real-life experience.”
That frontline experience shapes everything about the way Helen leads. While she now manages a large team supporting people with complex needs, her leadership is not built around hierarchy or job titles. Instead, it is rooted in trust, understanding and knowing exactly what day-to-day life in care can look like.
Over the years, Helen progressed from Support Worker to Senior Support Worker, then Deputy Manager, before stepping into her current role. Every stage taught her something new — not just about care, but about people.
Her team say she has a rare ability to make people feel calm, capable and valued, even on the most difficult days.
“She doesn’t just tell people how to do the job well,” one colleague says. “She shows them.”
Whether she is supporting someone through a difficult moment, mentoring a new staff member or stepping in during a busy shift, Helen leads from the middle of the action rather than the sidelines.
That hands-on approach has helped create a culture where staff feel supported rather than judged — something colleagues say makes a huge difference in such a demanding sector.
“She always sees the good in people,” another colleague explains. “She genuinely wants everyone to succeed.”
Alongside managing a highly complex service, Helen has also taken on two major specialist roles within Green Light PBS. She is both a Physical Intervention Trainer and the organisation’s Medication Lead — positions requiring significant knowledge, professionalism and responsibility.
What really stands out, however, is the way she shares that expertise. Rather than overwhelming staff with policies or jargon, Helen has a talent for making complex information feel practical, accessible and easy to understand.
“She explains things in a way that just clicks,” one colleague says. “People leave conversations with her feeling more confident.”
At a time when social care continues to face major recruitment and retention challenges, Helen’s story is also a reminder that the sector can offer genuine careers, progression and purpose.
“She is a perfect example of how someone can start in a frontline role and become a leader who changes lives,” a colleague says. “Her journey shows social care in the best possible light.”
For Green Light PBS, Helen is far more than an exceptional manager. She represents something bigger: proof that some of the best leaders in social care are the people who have lived the reality of frontline support work — and never forgotten the importance of compassion, patience and believing in people.
