Compassion in Practice: Liz’s Person-Centred Leadership in Banbury

“Everything we do is done with compassion,” says Liz. “Treat people as you would love to be treated.”

As Registered Manager at Sylvian Care Banbury, Liz oversees the day-to-day running of the service. This entails vital duties such as making sure systems work, standards are met, and every detail aligns with best practice. Her leadership is firmly person-centred. She and a colleague visit clients every month to check in, listen, and make sure each person is happy with their care.

Colleagues describe her approach as empathetic and practical. Liz frames it simply: “I put myself in the shoes of the person we’re supporting. You have to be compassionate, you have to be caring and understanding.”

Communication sits at the heart of her philosophy, and to Liz, that means listening carefully to what clients and families tell the team, and acting on it.

Home, Liz believes, is more than an address. It is “a sanctuary, a space, and a set of memories.” Respecting that is non-negotiable. Clients are treated as individuals, with preferences and routines that matter. This respect carries through to recruitment. Liz looks first for values and character, then for training. “People can be trained,” she says, “but you cannot be trained to be a good person.”

Under her stewardship, carers are encouraged and expected to go above and beyond. Families notice, and the trust that follows is a point of pride for the whole team. “We do make a difference,” Liz says. “And that’s important to the people we support.”

She is quick to credit the wider Sylvian Care network: a supportive, knowledgeable community that shares expertise and stands behind each local office. “The team at Sylvian Care are wonderful. There’s a wealth of knowledge. They are very supportive and encouraging.” It’s a collaborative model - “we all work together for the benefit of the client”- that maps perfectly onto her values-led leadership.

The role is demanding, and Liz doesn’t shy away from that. But it is also deeply fulfilling. She looks forward to the work, to meeting clients, and to the daily practice of compassion done well.

“I’m a caring person,” she says. “I believe that if you do good it will come back to you.”