Women in Home Care and Healthcare: Celebrating Women, Supporting Inclusive Careers in Care
A Women’s History Month reflection from Burley’s Home Care
This March we have been celebrating Women’s History Month, and it gives us an important opportunity to recognise the women who have shaped home care, social care and healthcare in the UK and beyond. It is a chance to celebrate achievement, leadership and compassion while also recognising that outstanding care today is built by diverse teams working together. At Burley’s Home Care, we value the contribution of women, men and LGBTQ+ colleagues, and we believe the strongest care organisations are the ones that create opportunity, belonging and progression for everyone.
Women have played a central role in care for generations. They have supported people at home, strengthened families, led teams, improved standards and helped shape wider healthcare. In social care especially, women continue to make up the majority of the workforce, which is one of the reasons this topic remains so relevant to the sector today.
Why this matters at Burley’s Home Care
Home care is one of the most personal parts of the wider health and care system. It supports people to stay safe, independent and comfortable in the place they know best: home. It is about much more than tasks. It is about trust, dignity, reassurance and relationships.
At Burley’s Home Care, we have seen first-hand how a career in care can be the start of something bigger. Some colleagues have joined us as carers and progressed into more senior care roles and leadership positions, including Registered Manager roles. Others have used the skills and confidence gained in care as a foundation for wider healthcare careers, including nursing, occupational therapy and midwifery. That matters to us because we do not just want to offer jobs. We want to help people build meaningful careers. Burley’s own careers, training and development pages clearly reflect that commitment to progression and support.
A great team makes great care
One of the things that makes Burley’s special is the team behind the care. Great care does not happen by accident. It comes from compassionate, well-trained, reliable people working together with shared values and a genuine commitment to helping others.
We are proud to have a team made up of amazing carers, supervisors and support staff, and that sense of teamwork is a huge part of the quality and consistency of the service Burley’s provides. It also reflects the culture we want to build: one where people feel respected, encouraged and supported to grow. Burley’s describes itself as a family-run, award-winning provider with a dedicated team, and that sense of pride in people comes through clearly across the website.
What reviews and feedback tell us
Reviews and feedback matter in home care because they reflect the real experience people have with a provider. They help families feel more confident, they build trust, and they often reveal what matters most: kindness, consistency, professionalism, communication and reliability.
At Burley’s Home Care, positive feedback is especially meaningful because it reflects the effort of the whole team. Great reviews are not only about one visit or one conversation. They usually reflect a wider culture of care, where carers, coordinators, office staff and leaders all work together around the needs of the client.
The positive reviews we receive are a reflection of our great team, our shared values and our commitment to delivering compassionate, reliable care that families can trust.
Seven incredible women in healthcare
1. Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale helped transform nursing into a respected profession and influenced the development of modern healthcare. Her work continues to shape thinking around care, hygiene and patient safety. (Florence Nightingale Museum London)
2. Mary Seacole
Mary Seacole is remembered for her courage, practical care and her support for soldiers during the Crimean War. She remains an important figure in British care history. (Florence Nightingale Museum London)
3. Elizabeth Garrett Anderson
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson became the first woman in Britain to qualify as a physician and surgeon, helping open the profession to future generations of women in medicine.
4. Dame Cicely Saunders
Dame Cicely Saunders transformed end-of-life care and pioneered the modern hospice movement. Her work changed the way healthcare approaches dignity, pain and compassion.
5. Professor Dame Sally Davies
Dame Sally Davies has had a major impact on public health and medical leadership in the UK, including at national policy level.
6. Professor Deborah Sturdy OBE
Professor Deborah Sturdy has been a powerful advocate for adult social care and for strengthening professional recognition within the sector.
7. Dame Clare Marx
Dame Clare Marx broke important ground in British healthcare leadership and demonstrated the value of women’s representation at the highest levels of the profession.
Growth, development and progression at Burley’s
One of the things we are most proud of at Burley’s Home Care is seeing people grow. We have seen carers develop into senior roles and management pathways, including progression towards Registered Manager positions. We have also seen colleagues move into wider healthcare professions such as nursing, occupational therapy and midwifery.
That reflects something important about care: it is not only a meaningful profession in its own right, but also a strong foundation for future progression. The communication, responsibility, empathy, resilience and professionalism developed in care can open doors in many different directions.
At Burley’s, development is part of the culture. Training is not treated as a box-ticking exercise. It is seen as the foundation of excellent care and stronger futures for the people delivering it. Our training pages emphasise extensive and individual training, along with awards for training and development, which supports this message strongly.
Frequently asked questions about women in care and healthcare
Why is Women’s History Month relevant to home care?
Because women have played a central role in shaping nursing, social care, leadership and patient support, and they continue to make a major contribution across care today.
Can you celebrate women in healthcare without excluding others?
Yes. You can celebrate women’s achievements during Women’s History Month while also recognising the contribution of men and LGBTQ+ colleagues in a diverse modern workforce.
Why does representation matter in care?
Representation helps care organisations better reflect the people and communities they support, which can strengthen trust, belonging and inclusion.
Can a care job lead to career progression?
Yes. Care can lead into senior care roles, leadership, specialist support roles and wider healthcare careers.
Can a carer become a Registered Manager?
Yes. With the right experience, development and support, care roles can progress into leadership and Registered Manager pathways.
Can working in care lead into nursing, midwifery or occupational therapy?
Yes. Many people build valuable experience in care before progressing into other healthcare professions.
Why does training matter so much in home care?
Because training builds confidence, competence and consistency, helping teams deliver safer, more compassionate and more reliable care.
Final thoughts
At Burley’s Home Care, we are proud to celebrate women who have shaped healthcare history and the women who continue to shape care today. We are equally proud to be an inclusive organisation that values people from all backgrounds and supports progression based on compassion, commitment and potential.
We are proud of our team, proud of the trust reflected in the feedback we receive, and proud of the people who grow with us. Whether someone joins us as a carer and builds a long-term future in home care, progresses into leadership, becomes a Registered Manager, or moves into nursing, occupational therapy or midwifery, we see that as success.
Because for us, great care is not only about supporting people at home. It is also about helping people grow.