Julie Cowens is the registered manager of our Highlea Care supported living services in Durham. She manages a team of over 140, supporting 75+ people, across 16 sites. Julie is also National Care Group’s Menopause Advocate.
In 2023, Julie marked her 25-year anniversary with Highlea Care. In celebration, she shared with us why social care is her career for life:
"As far back as I remember, I always wanted to be a nurse. When I was little, my parents bought me a nurse’s outfit and I never took it off. It was therefore no surprise to them that I studied Health and Social Care at sixth form when I left school.
"After two years in a support worker role, I successfully applied for a senior support role. It took me three years to then become a registered manager and over the years, I think I did just about every role there was; I’ve been a deputy manager, quality manager, senior manager and troubleshooting manager.
"One of my favourite things about this role is having the chance to observe and act upon the seemingly small things. For example, there was one lady who never had a birth certificate, so I made her one. She carried it around for two years, she was so proud. It can be such a simple gesture that means so much to that person."
To conclude her message to anyone considering a career change to a role in adult social care, she added:
"Don’t be discouraged by the myth that social care is just about making someone a cup of tea or doing their housework. Give it a try – it is so much more than that!"
