Gareth's Lifeways Career Journey
Gareth Roberts, Group Head of Quality, Health, and Safety has been working for Lifeways for nearly six years but has moved internally, undertaking several different roles. He started as a Health and Safety Manager in 2015. We asked Gareth about his journey with is so far.
What initially drew you to Lifeways?
"After 10 years working for a local authority, I decided it was time for a change. Lifeways was an obvious choice as I had the experience of working within the health and social care sector and it was an area I enjoyed. It's great to see people enjoying their life and knowing we have a small part to play in that. It's really rewarding".
What has changed during your time at Lifeways?
"The fundamentals remain the same, we strive to provide people with a happy, independent and fulfilled life. I've seen many positive changes in terms of our policies, processes, and systems - we are continually improving to make our services safer and happier places to live. One of the biggest areas that I've seen improvement is the team ethic, it really is a one-team approach which means we are all pulling in the same direction".
What do you think we should be celebrating for the 25th anniversary of Lifeways?
"We should be celebrating that Lifeways has continued to grow in a difficult sector and with so many external forces that are out of our control. As the largest supported living provider in the UK, we should be proud to work for Lifeways especially after the year 2020 has been. It's easy to talk about all the great examples of how we empower the people we support to lead ordinary lives but for me, we must not lose sight of our frontline teams. Each and every colleague that's continued to deliver support to those that need it most during the COVID pandemic should be congratulated. During the height of the pandemic, there was so much uncertainty but they continued to work without question which is admirable. I'm glad the public now recognise and appreciate the great work Support Workers do but I hope they continue to be applauded for the support they provide day in day out".
What is your favourite Lifeways memory?
"The Christmas parties and talent shows which the teams hold for the people we support are fantastic, they always hammer home why we do this. I always enjoy visiting services and being given a grand tour by one of the people that live there, because I get to hear about what they like and don't like, they often don't pull any punches and are very honest which I like a lot".