When I graduated with a degree in Software Engineering, I thought my career path was set. I could see my future mapped out: coding, designing systems, and solving technical challenges in the IT world.
I never imagined that within a few years, I’d be stepping into people’s homes as a carer, supporting them with the most personal aspects of their daily lives.
But life has a way of re-routing us, and that detour into care became my true calling. Today, as Managing Director of MAUCARE, I often reflect on that shift—and why it matters not only to me but to the future of leadership in social care.
The Power of Unexpected Journeys
My first care role was not glamorous. It was long hours, emotionally heavy, and at times overwhelming. But it was also profoundly rewarding. Supporting people through vulnerability taught me lessons no degree ever could:
- How to listen beyond words.
- How to earn trust, not expect it.
- How to adapt quickly, because no two days are ever the same.
These lessons became the foundation of my leadership style.
And it made me realise something: many of the best leaders in social care didn’t follow a straight line into management. They came from lived experiences—caring for a loved one, being a migrant worker, or stepping into the sector almost by accident. These “non-linear” paths create leaders with empathy, resilience, and grit—qualities our sector desperately needs.
Why This Matters to the Sector
The UK’s social care system is under immense pressure. Workforce shortages, funding gaps, and regulatory demands dominate the conversation. But when I look at my own journey, I see a hopeful message: the sector is full of people with unconventional paths who bring extraordinary value.
We cannot afford to underestimate the strength of those stories. For example:
- Migrant carers who rebuild their lives in a new country, bringing resilience and determination.
- Former family carers who turn their personal experience into professional empathy.
- Career switchers from fields like hospitality or IT, who bring transferable skills such as communication, problem-solving, and adaptability.
If we want to secure the future of social care, we need to recognise, nurture, and promote these leaders—not just the ones with the “right” CVs.
Lessons From Care That Translate to Leadership
Here are three leadership lessons I learned in care that continue to shape how I run MAUCARE today:
1. Trust is Earned, Not Assumed
In care, you can’t assume trust—you have to build it, often in small, everyday moments. The same applies to leading a team. People don’t follow titles; they follow people they can rely on.
2. Resilience is Built in the Hard Days
There were days as a carer when nothing went to plan—when someone was unwell, when families were struggling, when everything felt heavy. Those were the days that built my resilience. As a leader now, I know resilience is not about avoiding failure, but about rising after setbacks.
3. Every Person Has a Story
Working in care teaches you to see beyond labels—“service user,” “carer,” “manager.” Everyone has a story. As a leader, I try to apply this daily: seeing my team as individuals with their own journeys, strengths, and challenges.
What Social Care Leadership Needs Now
Leadership in social care is not just about compliance or ticking boxes. Yes, regulations and frameworks matter, but leadership is also about:
- Inspiring culture, not just managing rotas.
- Empowering carers as future leaders.
- Seeing families not just as clients, but as partners.
We need leaders who are both compassionate and commercially aware—because sustainability is as important as empathy.
My journey from code to care is unusual, but it isn’t unique. Across the UK, countless carers are walking into homes today with the potential to be tomorrow’s leaders.
The challenge is whether we, as a sector, will create the pathways for them to grow.
So here’s my call to action:
- To employers: look beyond CVs. Spot leadership potential in resilience, empathy, and initiative.
- To carers: believe that your journey matters. The skills you’re building today can make you a leader tomorrow.
- To policymakers: design systems that recognise and reward the people who are keeping care alive—not just as workers, but as future shapers of the sector.
Because if social care is to have a future, it will be built not by perfect career plans, but by people who dared to follow their purpose even when it took them somewhere unexpected.
