"My nan, mum, and sister all work in care" - Charley goes back to his roots

Charley started his working career looking after the elderly with dementia. However, shortly after, he left the care sector to work at his traditional family holiday location. 

"Before working for Lifeways, I thought working for Pontins was my dream job. I went there a lot as a kid and I loved it! Working at my old holiday location gave me a connection to my family. I was able to do what I love, performing on stage and now being part of a company that was a big part of my childhood. Plus, you get to act silly and bubbly. Unfortunately, due to Covid and restrictions on gathering, the work at Pontins slowed down. I took this as an opportunity to get back into care and work as a Support Worker.  

I wanted to apply for Lifeways on a bank contract as it looked like such a fantastic place to work just from the Indeed page. What they had to offer and all the training available drew me in. I spoke to who people who work for Lifeways, including the recruiter who hired me, and they all had positive things to say. 

But the thing that really made me want to apply was the fact that my mum, sister, and nan who sadly passed away all worked in care. My mum even works for Lifeways. As a lot of my family members work in this sector, I felt that care was embodied within me. It feels almost nostalgic to be part of something that is in my family background. Especially when thinking back to the work my nan did in care, I feel inspired. I saw how fulfilled they were from their work, and I wanted to be part of that.  

Luckily, from my past work, I had a lot of transferable skills. By working as an entertainer, I have developed a bubbly personality with the need to make sure they are happy and kept entertained. Seeing them smile is what makes me smile.  

At Lifeways, I also get to work with an amazing team. I know it sounds cliche but they are like a little family. We all gel really well and I think the people we we support get some sort of comfort from that. My manager has such a good relationship with her team which encourages me to work hard for her too. She is also so supportive, it's unreal. The support I have had already is already beyond what I would get in any of my past jobs. Everything from the recruitment process to meeting my manager and team was a dream.

As I loved the job, when I was asked to go from a bank contract to permanent after just one month, I jumped at the opportunity. I was pretty much doing full-time hours anyway so I wanted to make it official".  

To find a job you love like Charley, head over to our careers page.