Caring is not complex for Leah

Leah McCrum always wanted to be a medic in the army until an injury unfortunately put paid to that, but she has gone on to make the most of the caring nature and now she is spearheading Caremark Mansfield & Ashfield’s complex care service.

This is Leah’s second stint at Caremark, her first one being in 2019 when she entered care for the very first time.

Until then, she had various jobs, including working in reception at a law practice.

“I did a uniform services course and planned to join the army as a medic, but I had to have surgery on my foot when I worked at the law practice and they said it wouldn’t be strong enough to enlist,” Leah explains.

“I then asked myself what would I do next and I didn’t want to sit behind a desk answering telephone calls all day, plus I worked at the same place as mum and all we talked about was work, so I realised I needed to do something different and get some excitement back in my life.

“This led to me joining Caremark as a Care Assistant, which I loved and I haven’t looked back since.”

Leah wanted to experience different kinds of care so she left Caremark to go into residential care, working at a nursing home for people with advanced dementia.

After seeing the job as Case Leader being advertised for our complex care service, Leah decided the time was right to return to Caremark and she rejoined us in August 2025.

She is now working closely with experienced Learning Disability Nurse and professional Mark Gray in setting up the new service. Mark is busy imparting his 40-plus years of knowledge to Leah.

“I have been in and around complex care since I started in care and if I had joined the Army I always wanted to do major trauma nursing so in a way I feel I have come full circle,” says Leah.

“I have a passion for supporting people who genuinely need help at the worst point of their lives and this is something I will definitely be doing as a Case Leader, so it’s a very exciting time for me.

“I have learned a lot from Mark who has taken me back to basics like explaining how the brain works and how this can impact people with an acquired brain injury and listening to his stories about people he has supported and the positive impact you can have on their lives.

As a Case Leader, Leah will be involved in all stages of a customer’s care plan, form initial assessment through to overseeing the delivery of care and support.

She is already making a big impact as Mark attests to. Leah has the most fantastic way about her with the individuals we have been out to see so far and is an absolute natural at this,” he says.

“She would make an amazing nurse and that’s the highest compliment I can give her.”

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