Lifeways - enabling better ways for living

23rd November 2007
A leading specialist community support company has won Government praise for its outstanding achievements in promoting workplace opportunities for disabled people.

Lifeways Community Care, one of the country’s top providers of specialist community support for people with special needs, was the sole health care provider at a top-level House of Commons reception to launch the Government’s Skills for the Nation Agenda. Cambridgeshire-based Lifeways Training Officer, Ruth Catlett, and Lifeways carer and former self employed construction worker, Adrian Goodman, both attended a Parliamentary reception. Adrian, who has multiple sclerosis, came to Lifeways after being determined not to allow his disability to affect his career prospects. After re-training, he now works part-time with Lifeways.

Ruth and Adrian also represented Cambridge Regional College, which has a Centre of Vocational Excellence in health care. Lifeways is a partner with that college which supports the firms’ staff who study for their NVQs at that college. Said Ruth, who is responsible for the training needs of Lifeways’ 2,000 staff across the country: “Lifeways was the sole representative of the health and social care sector.
“Our company has a very flexible and supportive approach to people who wish to re-train in the health and social care sector and who may themselves have physical disabilities.
“We work very hard with our staff to make sure that disabilities do not stop people from starting a career in social care if at all possible.”

At the reception the employers’ work and their relationship with the Association of Colleges was praised by the Chairman of the Education and Skills Committee, Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman, who said the work could transform the lives of disabled people and have a positive effect on the workplace. Education and funding specialist Lord Ron Dearing, best known for his inquiry into higher education funding, also commended the employers’ commitment to offering new employment opportunities to people with disabilities.

Said Ruth: “We were pleased our policy that lives can be transformed through training and support was picked up by Lord Ron Dearing, and by Barry Sherman both of whom have a special interest in helping people to enhance their skills and to gain professional qualifications. “It was a very special day and we were given a private tour of the Houses of Parliament accompanied by a Queen’s Messenger.”

Mr Goodman had been forced to give up his first construction career, working on prestigious contracts such as Canary Wharf, when he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Lifeways offered him an opportunity to return to the workplace in a new career by working with them in social care – and encouraging him to pass his NVQ in Health and Social Care. Working out of Lifeways’ Chatteris office, Mr Goodman now works part-time supporting people in Fenland with learning difficulties and challenging behaviour.

(Pictured are Ruth Catlett with Adrian Goodman)