Jean O’Hara founded Away Day Care in 2007 – an independent, family-run adult social care provider in Trafford, Greater Manchester – and to this day, she thrives within the role of Managing Director. A leading woman in the social care industry, Jean does face obstacles such as making sure her voice is, particularly in more commercial or multi-agency environments where decisions are being made at pace. That being said, Jean has always remained true to her values, focussed on delivering results and deeply invested in the development of the team she has built around her to actualise her vision for the organisation. We learn more about Jean’s flourishing career and the inspirational strides she continues to make in what can be a challenging world of female leadership.
“Social care has always had a strong female workforce, particularly in frontline roles,” Jean begins. “But historically, there were fewer women in senior leadership, operational management, and strategic decision-making positions. Within Away Day Care, that has shifted significantly. We now see women not only delivering excellent care on the frontline, but also leading services, shaping organisational strategy, and influencing how we grow and innovate as a provider.”
Across the wider industry, Jean says it seems to have become easier for women to enter and progress – but this isn’t by accident. Social care has evolved to have a much stronger focus on equality, diversity and inclusion, as well as development, and training opportunities, which Away Day Care actively supports by creating clear progression pathways, from support worker roles through to senior and management positions, alongside incorporating professional development. Jean tells us that this helps ensure talent is recognised and nurtured regardless of gender. By having strong female role models, this helps to inspire and normalise women progressing into leadership roles.
However, that’s not to say that there aren’t challenges. The social care sector can be demanding, with issues like pay, recognition, and work-life balance affecting retention, particularly for women. “Overall, though, the direction of travel is positive,” says Jean. “At Away Day Care, we’re proud to be part of that progress by fostering an inclusive culture where women are supported to develop, lead, and thrive at every level of the organisation.”
Jean’s role at Away Day Care is to steer the ship and ensure the values on which the organisation was founded 18 years ago are still closely adhered to. These include putting people first and ensuring the service evolves in a way that is led by the needs of its users and their families. This comes alongside a commitment toward developing staff and recruiting from inside the organisation where possible.
“I believe giving your own people the opportunity to step up, and grow is so important and it has been a huge part of our success,” shares Jean. “Give them the support they need, then get out of their way so they can flourish. Creating opportunities for our staff to develop within has been one of our greatest keys to maintaining a high retention rate, something that is unfortunately quite rare across the sector we are really proud of the formula we have devised to help us hold on to our amazing staff teams.”
“My advice to other women entering or progressing in this sector would be to back yourself, seek out development opportunities, and not be afraid to step into leadership roles. Social care needs strong, compassionate leaders, and women bring enormous value to that.”
Before starting Away Day Care, Jean wore many different hats in many different sectors, from office management in multi-national corporations, to starting her own business selling high-end tools, diagnostics, and equipment, primarily servicing the automotive and transportation industries. She balanced that alongside being a full-time mum, and after a while, found herself feeling disconnected from the world of commerce, thus she sought out more fulfilling work. “I was ready to give back to my local community and as my boys were starting to grow up and become teenagers, I wanted to find a role that would give me that rewarding feeling that I had enjoyed so much as a mother,” she reminisces.
Now, Jean has a lot to be proud of, with her greatest career achievement to date being the opening of Away Day Care’s first regulated service, a state-of-the-art respite facility situated in the heart of the community, offering hydrotherapy and a full sensory suite. She says, “For years, families, carers, and service users themselves were coming to us saying that they loved our day service and outreach so much, and could we set up respite for them to access. From hosting regular family forums and having candid conversations with these families and carers, it quickly became apparent that there just wasn’t adequate provisions in the borough for them to access their allocated respite hours.”
For more than a year, Jean and her team worked tirelessly to come up with a plan and devise a model on how this service could be feasible and sustainable in the long-term. As a result of a lot of hard work, risk taking, and late nights burning the midnight oil, the Fairways respite was open in September 2020, having become a real success and flagship for the organisation.
Jean’s passion for giving back to her local community shows, even making Away Day Care a stadium sponsor for the local non-league football club, Trafford FC, which is a real community club with a mission and values that strongly resonate with that of the organisation. As such, Jean and co. wanted to support the club in any way they could. “They have a fantastic grass roots academy with girls’ teams at all age groups, and this is an initiative we could really get behind,” Jean explains. “Sport is a massive part of our family life, and it is something that has always helped channel me and my two boys alongside academic and work life. It affords young girls the skills that they will take with them into all different aspects of their bright futures.”
We are feeling greatly inspired by Jean and the incredible impact she is having both within Away Day Care and beyond. Now, we wonder what’s next for her professionally. Alongside guiding Away Day Care to lead the way toward a better tomorrow for the sector and those who rely on its services, Jean plans to keep supporting women in social care and in the world of business at large. She would also like to continue mentoring and nurturing young people who are entering the sector so they can realise the opportunities available and go on to have a long and fulfilled career.
Jean concludes, “I wish to continually advocate for equality by supporting female-led initiatives, bang the drum for female achievements within the sector, and do my bit to inspire the next generation of female leaders in care.”
CONTACT DETAILS
Company name: Away Day Care
Contact name: Jean O’Hara
Email: jean.ohara@awaydaycare.co.uk
Website: www.awaydaycare.com
