A catch-up with Amanda Loughlin, Service Manager at Vale House

Blog by Ash Akhtar, Club Director

As part of this month’s spotlight on our North services, I recently caught up with Amanda Loughlin, Service Manager at Vale House in Stoke.

For those who haven’t met Amanda yet, she joined Wellgate in December 2025 and brings with her a huge amount of experience in social care. Over a coffee (Amanda admits she drinks quite a lot of it!), we talked about her career journey, what’s been happening at Vale House, and her ambitions for the service. Here’s what she had to say.

Amanda Loughlin, Service Manager, Vale House

Tell us a bit about your background and what brought you into social care?

Amanda: I’ve been working in adult social care for around 25 years, which makes me sound very old! But I’ve genuinely never worked in any other sector.

I was originally a stay-at-home mum and decided to explore a career in health and social care. I started as a community carer supporting older people, many of whom were at the end of their lives. It was such a privilege to care for people during that stage of their journey.

I immediately fell in love with the work and knew it was the career path I wanted to follow. Over time I progressed into senior roles and eventually management, and as my interest in mental health grew I decided to study while working full time. I enrolled on a university course while working for Herefordshire Mind and graduated in 2020 with a Foundation Degree in Mental Health.

I later moved into management within a mental health service before relocating to Staffordshire in 2022, where I worked in a similar setting before joining Vale House.

What made you want to join Wellgate and take on Vale House?

Amanda: What really attracted me to Wellgate was the values and culture of the organisation. They felt very aligned with my own approach to care.

I was also impressed with the company’s reputation and the focus on creating supportive environments for both the people we support and the colleagues who work here.

Since joining, what have you been focusing on?

Amanda: Since starting in December, a lot of my focus has been on strengthening the team following a period of change in staffing. Ana, HR and I have been working closely together to build around the current team and recruit additional colleagues so we have a strong and stable service moving forward.

We’ve also been focusing on creating more community activities for the people we support. One of the things we introduced is a weekly coffee morning, where everyone can come together and share ideas. We’ve added a suggestion box, and each month we pick an activity from the box and make it happen.

Last week we organised a trip to the cinema, and we have lots more planned including community walks, a garden project, and other local activities.

Tell us a little about Vale House and the team there.

Amanda: Vale House is made up of 12 beautifully designed flats that support people to live independently while receiving the support they need. We currently have three voids, but referrals are starting to pick up. We’ve had enquiries from professionals I’ve worked with previously and referrals from local social workers.

We also recently welcomed a visit from the local authority commissioner, which went really well. We’re just waiting for the final report.

Our team is made up of people from different backgrounds and levels of experience, which is one of our strengths. Some colleagues are newer to the team and settling into their roles, while others have been here longer and consistently go above and beyond for the people we support.

What’s your ambition for Vale House over the next 6–12 months?

Amanda: My ambition is to empower the people we support to live as independently as possible and to the best of their abilities.

At the same time, I want to support the staff team to develop their skills and confidence, so everyone can contribute to improving the service and the lives of the people who live here.

Finally, something colleagues might not know about you… any fun facts?

Amanda: A fun fact about me is that I drink far too much coffee!

I also really enjoy travelling. I haven’t done a long-haul trip yet, but it’s definitely something I’d love to do in the future.

It was great catching up with Amanda and hearing about the passion she brings to her role. We look forward to seeing how Vale House continues to grow and thrive under her leadership.

Welcome again to the team, Amanda.