A career that changes lives with Valerie Michie, CEO

A career in care is one of the most meaningful and impactful occupations, yet it remains one of the most misunderstood. 

While so many people draw on high quality, person-centred support every day, the wider public often sees only a small part of what care truly involves. Behind the scenes, teams are transforming lives and creating places where people can truly thrive.  

In this conversation with Valerie, our Chief Executive Officer, we explore the real stories, real opportunities, and real purpose that defines care work, and why it deserves far more recognition than it receives.

What do you think is the biggest misconception surrounding the care sector? 

“I think the biggest misconception is that people don’t always see care as a place where you can build a lifelong career. When people think about long-term career paths, they might consider joining the army, becoming an accountant or going into hospitality or retail roles. Care doesn’t always spring to mind, and it should! 

The truth is you can absolutely build a career that matters in the care sector. You can start as a Support Worker and build your skills, or progress into leadership roles including becoming a Registered Manager. At Choice, 87% of our Registered Managers have been promoted from within the organisation.”  

“There are real opportunities, but many people simply aren’t aware of them, and we are determined to change this.”  

What’s one story or experience at Choice that best captures the true spirit of care work? 

“I have so many inspiring stories, but one that’s very fresh in my mind is about a lady named Kay, who lived at Sunnyside for around ten years. 

In December 2024, after Kay sadly passed away, her sister Emily wrote to me to say just how much the team had transformed Kay’s life. She shared how truly happy Kay had been living there, especially after having lived in many different places previously that didn’t feel like home. 

What really struck me was when she wrote that Sunnyside had become “Kay’s sunny side” and the team had always taken the time to understand what mattered most to Kay. 

She loved animals, after growing up on a farm, so the team arranged regular visits to a local farm. She was also passionate about soap operas, so they made sure her favourite programmes were part of her weekly routine. 

For their amazing work and commitment to supporting people, Sunnyside’s team won the CEO award at the 2025 Choice Care Awards.  When I read parts of her email during the ceremony, the whole room was emotional. It was a beautiful moment of recognising the immense impact our teams have. And it’s just one of hundreds of stories like that.” 

Why do you think care is often undervalued compared to other career choices? 

“I think it’s largely a lack of visibility. For me, that’s the biggest challenge: how do we make this wonderful work more visible? 

I recently did an interview with Duvet Flip to try and promote care as a career, and I am committed to doing more with other care organisations to promote a career in care. The opportunity is there; we just need people to be able to see it for what it really is: a career that changes lives.  

When you look at other sectors like retail or banking, most of us understand those environments because we interact with them all the time, we go into supermarkets or high street shops, we see banks on television or in films. Those types of workplaces are represented everywhere, so they naturally feel more familiar. 

Care, on the other hand, isn’t as visible. The work often happens in people’s homes or in quiet, personal moments that the wider world doesn’t see. Because it’s less represented in everyday life and in the media, people don’t instinctively think of it as a career option. If you don’t personally know someone who draws on support, then you might not realise how significant and meaningful care work is.” 

If you could correct one myth about the care sector once and for all, what would it be? 

“The myth that frustrates me the most is that care is a low-paid career.”

“It’s a narrative that gets repeated constantly, and I don’t think it shows the whole picture.”

“Do I think people working in care deserve higher pay? Absolutely, yes. 

If you look at starting salaries in, supermarkets, hospitality, or the army our entry-level pay is comparable to many other sectors. Even some graduate training roles in major finance firms start on a similar level of pay as an entry-level role in care, which might surprise people. 

The real difference that people don’t talk about enough is how stable a career in care is and how important annual take home pay can be. In supermarkets or hospitality, roles are often part-time with unreliable hours. Your income can go up and down depending on the season. 

In care, we can offer consistent, guaranteed hours and full-time contracts. You know exactly what you’ll be earning every month of the year. At Choice 88% of our colleagues have guaranteed hours contracts and of those people, 82% work full time.  

Lastly, colleagues in care really enjoy their work. Recent data from the UK Skills and Employment survey showed that care workers are more satisfied with their job than all other jobs surveyed. 

So yes, the starting hourly rate should be better but annual take home pay is competitive, and colleagues really enjoy what they do.” 

Rewriting The Narrative  

Care is a profession built on human interaction and compassion. 

As the sector continues to grow, so do the opportunities for those ready to build a purposeful and stable career. If we want the world to value care as it should, we must continue telling real-life stories, because only then will people see the extraordinary worth of this career path.