Stockport care worker legend retires after 39 years

One of Stockport's most respected care workers Ines Kirby has retired after 39 years service first with Stockport Council and since 1993 with Borough Care.

Working with older people with dementia her mission has been to ensure:

'We concentrate on their strengths, on what they can do, not on what they can't do and that we provide an optimum level of care that improves the quality of their later years.'

Ines joined what was the Council managed care home service in 1977, just three months after arriving from Cologne in Germany, as a care worker, and has since risen to Deputy Chief Executive and Head of Care for Borough Care, the non-profit organisation that took over the operation.

As such, she is now responsible for the quality of care and manages the care home management team which looks after some 520 staff in 11 care homes with 460 residents, the majority with dementia.

Ines said: “I could barely speak a word of English when I started but after two years I became a Deputy Manager in Cawood House in Brinnington and then Manager of two homes. Silverdale in Bredbury and Reinbek in Davenport. I loved running my own teams and being responsible for these homes, but soon after I moved up to Head Office I realised I could have a greater impact introducing measures to improve all 11 homes.”

Ines added: “I suppose I am most proud of the standardisation procedures and ensuring we have the same optimum standards of care in place across 11 homes.”

Ines added: “My drive has been to seek a constant improvement in our care and never to be complacent but to continually question how we do things and improve, question and improve.”

She said: “I am very proud of our team at Borough Care and know the role of the care professional can be challenging, but we have a team that listens, that is compassionate and who always seek to demonstrate respect.” Living in Heald Green, married to Howard for 40 years with a son and a grandson, Ines simply intends to spend more time with her family.

Borough Care Chief Executive Kathryn Farmer said: “Quite simply no one in Stockport has done more to provide the best possible care for our older people than Ines. She is a great professional and a great friend.”

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