Jess's Journey to Day Opportunities Lead Manager at ECL
Jess Shorey began her career as a retail store manager at 17 but felt unfulfilled. Her passion for helping people started when she spent time with her aunt, who has learning disabilities, and saw how impactful community support was for her aunt’s independence. Inspired by this and encouraged by a friend who worked for a charity supporting adults with disabilities, Jess transitioned into the care sector. She joined the outreach service of the charity in 2013, starting part-time while working in retail but eventually moving to full-time because of her love for the work.
In 2018, while on maternity leave with her first child, Jess’s manager at the charity moved to ECL. Upon returning from leave, Jess decided to follow her manager and joined ECL as a Trusted Assessor. Jess quickly advanced in her role, becoming a manager of three Older People (OP) services in early 2020.
When Jess went on maternity leave again in late 2020, ECL’s flexible work culture allowed her to return part-time as a Trusted Assessor, accommodating her need for a work/life balance. In June 2024, when her children started nursery, Jess was ready to return full-time. Around that time, ECL restructured its day services, and Jess applied for and was promoted to Day Opportunities Older People Lead Manager at ECL Basildon - a promotion reflecting her experience and dedication.
ECL has been supportive throughout Jess’s career, especially when it came to balancing work and family life, she said: “I am very impressed and grateful that my need for part-time work during my children’s early years hasn’t held back my career progression.”
Jess thrives on collaborating with other ECL services to improve her customers' quality of life. Whether it's enhancing independence for a customer with sight loss by working with the Sensory team or helping a customer with a paralysed arm pursue her love of art through adaptive equipment supplied by an ECL Occupational Therapist, Jess believes in pushing beyond ’maintaining independence‘ to achieve more meaningful results. Jess commented: “At ECL we do have the best of both worlds, we are big enough to have the specialist expertise and support infrastructure to offer an unparalleled service to our customers, but we are still small enough to provide the personalised care that everyone deserves.”
Jess finds nothing more fulfilling than seeing the customers smile. She loves turning their wishes into reality - like arranging a trip to the West Ham United FC shop for a football fan who attends the day centre. She also values the strong bond within her team at the day centre and enjoys collaborating with other managers across the South Essex region. Their complementary strengths help them support each other in achieving the best outcomes for their customers.
Jess has benefited from multiple opportunities to develop her skills. She completed her NVQ Level 3 and is now working on her Level 5, with ECL supporting her every step of the way. She’s also been involved in special projects, which gave her valuable skills and experience in shaping new services for ECL.
One day I may be directly supporting customers, the next, managing services or driving new projects. There’s never a dull moment. I gain immense pride in managing my own service and feeling truly responsible for its success.
Jess’s experience, combined with support from her line managers, has set her up for success. Her promotions reflect not only her skills but also ECL’s commitment to helping its employees grow.
Jess’s journey shows that ECL offers more than just a job - it offers a career full of opportunities, growth, and fulfilment. Whether you’re looking for flexibility, meaningful work, or chances for advancement, ECL provides an environment where you can thrive while making a real difference in people’s lives.
Join us and be part of something bigger, just like Jess did.