Meet the Team Associates
Meet the Northern Lifetime Associate
Northern Lifetime is a growing Case Management company, currently on the lookout for new team members to join Christina and Rachel as Associates. We are a proudly northern business and are ideally seeking Associate Case Managers who are based in the north of England. If you are looking for a change, interested to work with a non-corporate, friendly northern-based team, you can find a job description and application form here.
Christina Wilks
Associate Case Manager
I had always wanted to be a nurse and to look after and care for people. This led me into domicialiary support work for the elderly, which I enjoyed. I then saw a position advertised for a support worker at a specialist educational college for children with complex needs, and so began working with brain injured children and their parents.
I remember my first day so clearly and knew I had come to the right job.
I was involved in setting up a team and found this bringing a group together and supporting them so appealing. It was like second nature for me. My approach is holistic and this experience taught me a lot about running complex care packages.
I've learnt a lot from colleagues along the way, most notably Akilah Akinola, who is CEO of Outreach community and Residential Services; and Christine Morren, who was the college nurse and really inspired me, not least with her sensitive use of language to promote dignity when supporting a client.
A good case manager needs to be a good listener for sure, and to be empathetic enough to understand how hard things can be for clients, and also for their families. I feel honesty in managing expectations is extremely important, with both clients and their families, as is supporting parents in a non-judgemental way.
Rachel Taylor
Associate Case Manager
Early on I worked as a relief porter in a busy local hospital, which I loved, before becoming a BT engineer. Taking on the engineering role made me realise that working in a healthcare setting, and most importantly with people as opposed to tech, was the way forward for me.
My epiphany came via a library book that included a chapter on possible NHS professions. I stumbled on Occupational Therapy (OT) and it really appealed to me. I resolved to enrol on a college course.
After this I worked in Rotherham for an OT manager who was terrifically charismatic and plain speaking. She was professional and pragmatic, and represented the profession in a powerfully dynamic and assertive manner, which made a big impression on me.
To my mind, a good OT practitioner needs to be client centred, non-prescriptive and a good problem solver too, but really the crucial first rule of OT is to establish a rapport with your client.
My professional mantra is to ask, “Has my input made any difference to the individual’s quality of life?” Yes I give people equipment and adaptations that have helped them considerably, but I see my role as being much wider and considerably more holistic than that.
My epiphany came via a library book that included a chapter on possible NHS professions. I stumbled on Occupational Therapy (OT) and it really appealed to me. I resolved to enrol on a college course.
After this I worked in Rotherham for an OT manager who was terrifically charismatic and plain speaking. She was professional and pragmatic, and represented the profession in a powerfully dynamic and assertive manner, which made a big impression on me.
To my mind, a good OT practitioner needs to be client centred, non-prescriptive and a good problem solver too, but really the crucial first rule of OT is to establish a rapport with your client.
My professional mantra is to ask, “Has my input made any difference to the individual’s quality of life?” Yes I give people equipment and adaptations that have helped them considerably, but I see my role as being much wider and considerably more holistic than that.