Nicola’s journey from TUPE transfer to becoming Lifeways’ newest Regional Director

After transferring to Lifeways more than ten years ago, a determined and dedicated team member has now been appointed Lifeways’ newest Regional Director in the Supported Living division. 

Succeeding long-serving colleague James Dennison, Nicola Beasley now leads the R03 North West region, spanning Lancashire to Cumbria, and brings ambitious plans to make Lifeways service even better for the people we support. 

“I could not have achieved any of this without the support of my team, James, and the Executive Leadership Team – I truly would not be where I am today without them,” said Nicola shortly after taking up her new role. 

“Lifeways has been an incredibly rewarding company to work for. Moving over through TUPE can be challenging, but everyone made the transition so welcoming and supportive.” 

Nicola’s journey with Lifeways began in 2015 when she transferred from Care UK, where she had worked as a Locality Manager – a role with responsibilities similar to Lifeways’ Service Managers – following Lifeways Group’s acquisition of Care UK’s Learning Disability Division. She soon became a Registered Manager, taking on oversight of CQC requirements. 

In 2016, Nicola was promoted to Area Manager, overseeing 13 services in the Staffordshire area at that time. 

“It’s been a long journey,” she added. “Living Ambitions, under the Lifeways Group banner, currently holds an overall ‘Good’ rating from the Care Quality Commission, but I’ve recently been working closely with the Quality Team to put in place the elements needed to reach ‘Outstanding.’ 

“It’s been challenging, but I’ve been fortunate to have a very stable team. Many of my service managers also came over from Care UK, so that stability has been key in getting us to where we are today.” 

After more than a decade with Lifeways, Nicola is excited about the future for her and her teams, highlighting the impact of recent advancements. 

“The transformation journey Lifeways has been on over the last two to three years has been incredible,” she continued.  

“Moving from a paper-based organisation to a fully digital one has made a huge difference. It shows that we are a modern, forward-thinking organisation and that we mean business. 

“I’m really looking forward to seeing what the next 10 years at Lifeways will bring.”