Experience Matters at Every Age as PROCare Signs the Age Friendly Employer Pledge
Brian is 70 and still very much part of PROCare. He is still working, sharing what he knows and passing on decades of experience to the people around him, and for us that's pretty normal.
We have plenty of colleagues over 50 across the business and genuinely value what experience brings. Years of dealing with customers, solving problems, handling difficult situations and knowing when to stay calm and get on with the job cannot all be taught from a manual.
That is one of the reasons PROCare has signed the Centre for Ageing Better Age Friendly Employer Pledge.
Why age friendly employment matters
People are living and working for longer, but the employment figures show there is still a gap. In 2025, 71.6 per cent of people aged 50 to 64 were in employment, compared with 85.7 per cent of those aged 35 to 49. Here in the North West, 30.5 per cent of people aged 50 to 64 were economically inactive, the highest rate of any English region.
There's not one simple reason for that. Research from the Centre for Ageing Better in Greater Manchester points to health, caring responsibilities, skills, confidence and ageism in recruitment as some of the barriers that can make it harder for people over 50 to stay in work or find a new job. For businesses, that can mean losing a lot of good people and a lot of useful experience.
The Centre for Ageing Better has also launched a new measure called NETER, looking at people aged 50 to State Pension Age who are not employed, in training, education or retired. Its latest figures show 2.9 million people in the UK fall into this group, with nearly 925,000 interested in or actively looking for work. More than half are living with a long term illness or disability, showing how closely health and employment can be linked as people get older.
The Age Friendly Employer Pledge encourages employers to look properly at how they recruit, retain and develop people over 50. More than 600 organisations across the UK have now signed it.
For us, it is about making sure we do not make assumptions about somebody because of their age. It means looking at recruitment, training, flexibility, health and wellbeing and making sure people still have opportunities to develop throughout their working life.
Different generations make a stronger business
As a family business, having different generations working side by side has always made sense to us.
Younger colleagues bring new ideas, technology and different ways of doing things. More experienced colleagues bring years of knowledge, perspective and the confidence that comes from having dealt with a few problems before. The best bit is when those things get shared both ways.
That mix fits naturally with our values of Caring, Collaborative, Passionate, Innovative and Resilient. You need people who are willing to try something new, but you also need people who know when something is likely to cause a headache further down the line.
Being shortlisted for a Wigan Family Business Award this year has made us think about that a bit more. Being a family business is not only about the family members working at PROCare. For us, it is also about looking after good people, helping them develop and recognising what they can bring at every stage of their career.
Experience matters to the work we do
There is another reason having an age diverse workforce makes sense for PROCare. Our work is focused on helping older and disabled people live safely and independently in their own homes.
Our teams speak every day to occupational therapists, contractors, housing officers, residents and families dealing with changing needs. Within our own team, people also bring experiences of caring for relatives, supporting family members and seeing how health, mobility and independence can change over time.
That gives us a broader understanding of the people behind the products we survey, manufacture and supply.
An accessible wetroom is not just a tray and a shower. An adapted kitchen is not just cupboards and worktops. A wash and dry toilet or an Invisible Creations grab rail can make a real difference to how somebody manages everyday life at home.
Having people in the business who understand that helps keep the focus where it should be.
Fit For Our Future
Our Fit For Our Future campaign is built around preparing homes and services for people’s changing needs rather than waiting until something reaches crisis point. We think the same principle makes sense in the workplace.
Homes England’s Healthy Homes guidance recognises accessibility and future proofing as important parts of creating homes that support long term physical and mental wellbeing. A home that is easier to use can help someone stay independent, active and involved in family, community and working life for longer.
Our products are one part of that bigger picture. Level access wetrooms can make washing safer. Adapted kitchens can make everyday tasks easier. Wash and dry toilets can reduce the need for assistance, while discreet support products can provide extra stability without making the home feel clinical.
The workplace needs some of that same forward thinking. If somebody’s circumstances change, it is better to have a sensible conversation about what might help than wait until they feel they cannot carry on.
That might be different hours, a different role, some extra support or simply doing things in a slightly different way.
Working longer should be about choice
Brian still working at 70 does not mean we think everyone should work into their seventies. It is more about having the choice. If someone wants to keep working and still has plenty to give, age should not be the thing that rules them out.
People’s needs change as they get older too. Some might want fewer hours, a different role or the chance to learn something new. Others will be ready to retire. For us, being age inclusive is about having those conversations properly and not making assumptions.
A lot of our customer service comes from people who have been around long enough to have dealt with just about everything. At the same time, younger colleagues bring fresh ideas, new skills and a different way of looking at things.
Our wider social impact
Signing the Age Friendly Employer Pledge also fits into the wider social impact we want PROCare to have, particularly here in the North West where employment for people over 50 remains a real issue.
We're not going to solve that problem on our own, but there are practical things we can do. We can make sure older applicants feel welcome. We can keep investing in people throughout their careers. We can recognise the value of experience and make sure knowledge is passed between generations rather than disappearing when somebody reaches a certain age.
There's a nice connection with what PROCare has been doing for the past 25 years. We've spent that time helping make homes work better as people’s needs change, through accessible bathrooms, wetrooms, adapted kitchens and products that support independent living. Signing the Age Friendly Employer Pledge is about applying some of that same thinking to our own workplace.
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