🎙️ You Care, I Care Podcast | Featuring Tara Gunn, Operations Manager at Eleanor Live-Well
In a recent episode of the You Care, I Care podcast, host Janet Shreeve engaged in a meaningful conversation with Tara Gunn, Operations Manager at Eleanor Live-Well, about Live-in Care and the power of choice in care services.
For many, the assumption is that as we age or require additional support, moving into a care home is the only option. But what if there was another way? Live-in Care offers a compassionate alternative, allowing individuals to stay in their homes while receiving the support they need.
Tara Gunn has nearly two decades of experience in the care industry, starting her journey in Live-in Care after transitioning from IT recruitment. Now, as Operations Manager at Eleanor Live-Well, she is leading the way in providing high-quality Live-in Care services across Kent and beyond.
Many people still don’t fully understand what Live-in Care is or how it differs from traditional care options. Tara explains how this model allows people to stay in their familiar environment, receiving personalised, one-on-one care from a dedicated professional.
“Most people assume a care home is the only option, but Live-in Care gives people the power to stay in their own homes, surrounded by everything they love.” – Tara Gunn
“One of the biggest benefits of Live-in Care is that it gives people choices, when to wake up, when to eat, how they want to live their day. It’s about independence.” – Tara Gunn
“At Eleanor Live-Well, we focus on truly matching carers with clients, ensuring that every individual receives the support that fits their needs and lifestyle.”
With the aging population in the UK and an increasing preference for home-based care, Live-in Care is becoming a key solution for families looking for personalised, professional support.
This episode sheds light on why care choices matter and how Eleanor Live-Well is helping redefine elderly care with a person-centred approach.
Despite a successful stint as one of the youngest finance directors in London, specialising in mergers and acquisitions for a prominent advertising company, Marc found his professional success to be hollow. Driven by a desire to serve the community, he left the lucrative world of finance to establish an accountancy practice and business consultancy in Lewisham. His mission was clear: guide local start-ups and small businesses toward financial transparency and profitability.
As Marc’s consultancy flourished, he received a crucial call from Eleanor in 2005, who was struggling to keep her nursing agency afloat after 26 years. Marc took on the challenge, initiating a leap of faith that marked the beginning of a transformative journey. Today, the Eleanor Healthcare Group stands as a model business in the care sector, with over 1500 dedicated members, fluent in 112 languages, supporting over 3000 clients. The senior staff, with a combined experience of over 100 years in health and social care, has been instrumental in guiding and participating in the organisation’s remarkable growth.
Marc draws inspiration from his team of staff care workers and frontline keyworkers, acknowledging their role in preserving the life and dignity of the most vulnerable in the community. He emphasises that Eleanor is an organization with people at its core, having created a paradigm shift in the care sector with the driving principle that social care is about people, not processes. In 2009, Marc introduced the concept of person-centric care, responding to a request from Richmond Council. Eleanor Healthcare Group led the transformation, offering tailor-made services and pioneering an outcomes-based approach in collaboration with local authorities. The organisation then took a leading role in preventive care, integrating health and social care services and introducing a novel caring model to Lewisham Council based on the Buurtzorg model.
Despite numerous achievements, Marc sees success as just the beginning. The Eleanor family remains ready to take another leap of faith, with trust in people above processes. In the face of mounting challenges to health and social care systems, Marc has been steering Eleanor to the forefront of much-needed innovation within the UK and globally. Eleanor Healthcare Group takes pride in its identity, never compromising integrity and always preserving its true essence. The commitment to taking the road less travelled is evident as it approaches the next fork in the future of healthcare, promising to continue breaking new ground and redefine possibilities.