Welcome aboard Lauren

My name is Lauren Harker and I was born in Pontefract, West Yorkshire but was raised in Heywood from being about a month old.

Lauren spent a lot of time at her beloved Nan's house growing up, who she was extremely close to, and unexpectedly lost in February 2022. This hit her really hard, caused a lot of pain and made her realise that you never know how much time someone has left and ultimately made her a lot closer to the people she loves and to treat everyday as if it's her last. 

Lauren said I recently began working for Bluebird Care Rochdale on an Office Administration Apprenticeship, whilst studying for my Maths GCSE with Rochdale Training Association.

I like to spend time with my boyfriend, friends, family and pets. It's my favourite thing to do aside from listening to 80s music, watching old movies such as Goodfellas and the Godfather and soaking up as much history knowledge as I can (I often get called an old soul).

I passed my driving test in May 2023 (first time) which is a huge achievement for me and has made me realise I can do anything I set my mind to.

I feel like I've immediately fit in with my lovely co-workers, and this helps me maintain a positive attitude at work every day. My confidence has also shot up - I used to be terrified of making phone calls but I've now overcome my fear thanks to the help of my colleagues who have believed in me since the beginning. I applied for this job as an opportunity to broaden my skills and experience life behind the scenes of a care company. This way I can see it from different angles and get a better understanding of how a business is run, in a caring and effective way.

Now that I've passed my driving test I will also be able to deliver care work outside of my apprenticeship. I miss delivering care; I used to be a live-in carer and also worked in a care home. I miss chatting with the customers, learning their life stories and supporting them in their day to day life. They can have a tough, unique sense of humour that is hard to find nowadays. I'm so excited to potentially jump back into my long loved profession, and officially meet and build a relationship with our delightful customers, whilst learning more about the business itself.

Joint Owner and Director Beryl Keogh said it is great to have Lauren joining our team as she is able to provide office continuity during the week.  We are truly fortunate that we have someone that has a background in care but is part of our wider support for the team who routinely are out delivering across the whole of Rochdale Borough and Whitworth.  Lauren has fit in well and hopefully will look forward to getting involved in care delivery now that she has passed her test.