TWO MEMBERS of staff at a Torfaen care provider have shown that care work can be a job for life after celebrating clocking up more than 30 years working in the industry.

Sixty-seven-year-old Susan Bowen, from Pontypool, has worked in care for 34 years and 63-year-old Marian Guest, from Pontypool, has clocked up 35 years of service in the industry.

Katie Jewell, regional manager at ISS Healthcare, which has offices at Torfaen Business Centre, said: “Many people believe that the care industry has a high turnover of staff and that it’s not a job people can do for life, but Sue and Marian have proved this wrong and we would like to congratulate them both on their long service in the industry.

“They have shown themselves to be extremely dedicated and hardworking, which is something we look for in all our employees. They are a true inspiration to others already in the industry and those thinking about joining it and are testament to the fact that in this day and age, where you hear about companies falling into administration and employees losing their jobs on a regular basis, you can still have a career for life.

“Our service users really benefit from having long serving staff members as it means they can get to know the friendly faces that visit them and many form a real friendship over the years, making them much more comfortable in their own homes to have what they consider to be a friend pop in to take care of them rather than a different person each time.”

Sue said: “I love supporting individuals in order to enable them to stay safe and in their own homes. I look after their wellbeing and try to help them remain as independent as possible. I never thought when I started my job in care that I would still be doing it more than 30 years later, but here I am and enjoying it just as much as I did on day one.”

Marian said: “Caring for individuals has been my life-long passion and is something I thoroughly enjoy. I have been able to turn this passion into a career and really do have a job for life here at ISS Healthcare.”

ISS Healthcare provides care support to thousands of people, with services commissioned through authorities in the area or purchased privately by individual service users or their families.