Watch: How Philippa found her confidence… and her dream job!

Since landing her dream job as a tour guide on the set of Emmerdale, Philippa has gone from strength to strength.

Not only has she had her contract renewed with the Emmerdale team, but she is now working on the famous cobbles of Coronation Street, helping to train new colleagues and going the extra mile for guests.

She said: “I’ve been training to be a tour guide and I’ve absolutely loved it. My colleagues have really helped me and I’ve learned a lot from a manager who has been teaching me to interact more with guests and make it special for them. I also earned my first ever Trip Advisor review.”

Philippa has also put some new skills into action to make sure that her guests get a great experience on her tours.

“I was really proud when I was able to help a deaf couple who came on a tour one day. The lady could lip read but the man was completely deaf. I’d learned a little bit of British Sign Language and was able to say good morning to them. From there I was able to ask them if they wanted to be near the front or the back of the tour.”

Watch: Philippa's thriving life!

“The lady asked to be near the front so that she could lip read and sign for her husband. They inspired me to want to learn British Sign Language.”

‘A big achievement’

Philippa says that the support of her colleagues is the best thing about her role.

“My confidence has really grown. Now, if there’s someone new, I can help them come out of their shell. That’s a big achievement for me because that used to be me.”

Looking forward, Philippa is keen to complete her level one in British Sign Language alongside her tour guide training so she can take guests around more areas of Emmerdale and Coronation Street.

Philippa’s achievements enabled our support teams to reduce her care costs.

In 2023, Philippa’s support cost £1,028 per week. 

In January 2025 this year, due to Philippa gaining a greater level of self-autonomy and independence, her support fees were reduced to £805 per week – a more than 20% saving for Kirklees Council.  

And that’s despite standard fee uplifts and rising costs over that period.

Ryan Patchett, a Service Manager who works with Philippa, said: “Since the start of her Emmerdale work, Philippa has grown both in terms of confidence and self-esteem.”

“She’s way more present in everything she does and empathetic towards the people around her - she’s a big part of the team on the tours. It’s been a pleasure to be part of her journey and seeing her flourish.”

 

About Lifeways:

Lifeways is the UK’s largest team of support professionals providing support for adults in the community.

We support adults with diverse and complex needs, including learning disabilities, autism, physical disabilities, acquired brain injuries, and mental health conditions

Lifeways delivers support across three divisions: supported living, residential and mental health services.

As the supported living sector’s largest team of professionals, Lifeways’ extensive experience and national reach mean we deliver extraordinary support to adults, enabling them to live fulfilling and independent lives in the community. 

Our 10,000 colleagues currently support around 4,000 individuals who live in our 1,100 supported living and residential services across England, Scotland, and Wales. 

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