31st October 2024
Sanctuary Supported Living
Liz enjoying one of many special occasions at Jazz Court
Liz Jones is a Retirement Communities Manager at Jazz Court, a Sanctuary Supported Living retirement community in Scarborough. Here, she talks about her four decades working with older people, a fresh approach to life in retirement communities, and how she’s making a difference to customers’ lives every day.
My first college placement was within a residential home, but I didn’t enjoy it and decided that I didn’t want to work with older people again. Little did I know…! After college, I worked at a different residential home, starting as a Care Assistant, and took every opportunity for learning and career progression that I could, until I eventually became the manager. I worked there for 28 years, so when it closed, I was initially devastated as it was such a big part of my life, but I decided it was time for something new. Moving to Jazz Court was the best decision I could have made - I’m celebrating my 10-year Sanctuary anniversary!
I was previously the CQC-registered manager, overseeing customers’ care and support. This year, I moved into the role of Retirement Communities Manager, where I’m excited to focus on creating a safe and healthy environment for residents to live their best lives, filled with interesting opportunities and uplifting experiences.
While my new role comes with many responsibilities, what I enjoy most is spending more time with the residents. They bring such a wonderful mix of personalities and life experiences, and I cherish the opportunity to work alongside them and my amazing team.
I’m also proud of Jazz Court’s excellent local reputation, reflecting our commitment to meeting the expectations of both our customers and the wider community. My team and I focus on fostering meaningful relationships and community connections, creating a positive atmosphere, enhancing residents' lives and especially reaching out to those at risk of being isolated or lonely. It’s truly fulfilling to be leading a place where everyone can thrive.
As an extension of my new role, I’ve also become a Champion for Sanctuary Supported Living’s new retirement communities vision, supporting teams from other services. We want all our retirement communities to be lively places where residents can live fulfilled, safe, and happy lives; places where they can take on new challenges and fun activities, and be included and supported to live in a vibrant community.
"The most important qualities you need are patience, compassion and a willingness to give your time for others."
When people ask me what skills I’ve found most useful, I say that my sense of humour has worked wonders in difficult situations over the years! I’m also very empathetic and always try to understand people’s points of view, to support them as best I can. But the most important qualities you need are patience, compassion and a willingness to give your time for others. It can be challenging, as my role is always busy, but even five minutes with someone can make a huge difference, making them feel valued and that they matter.
My role is incredibly satisfying. Recently, a customer with Alzheimer’s was struggling at Jazz Court, as it no longer suited his increasing needs. I’m proud of how we supported him, including arranging Dementia Friends training, giving everyone a better understanding of the disease and how to interact with him. We also worked with some lovely residents who volunteered to help ensure that he could live here safely, until alternative accommodation was found – including encouraging him to join their coffee club meet-up, giving him somewhere safe to spend the morning.
I’ve experienced lots of nice moments at Jazz Court, but one stands out as extra special. Earlier this year, I was nominated for a national Housing With Care award, as Retirement Communities Hero. I was thrilled to reach the final and attend the awards ceremony in London, but I was even more amazed when I actually won!
I’m very lucky to work with such a wonderful group of people. They each bring different skills and strengths to our team and help to make Jazz Court a happy and exciting place to live – I couldn’t do it without them.
