Nowadays, more and more people are taking bold steps and changing careers in later life. Though, once you’ve decided that you’d like to try something different, it can be tricky to choose a role that suits your skills, experience, and lifestyle.
One role that’s both rewarding and suitable for people of all types of professional backgrounds is a school caretaker. School caretakers supervise and look after school buildings and grounds. They’re touchstones of school communities; working to make sure that everything is in proper working order and that the premises are clean and secure.
Plus, if you choose a role with TIB Services, an agency that provides temporary maintenance and site services to schools across the UK, your work schedule can remain as flexible as possible.
We spoke to Jackie Shove and David Edmonson, who come from military and policing backgrounds and are now TIB caretakers, to find out a little about their career changes and how they’re getting on with their new roles.
“I needed something a bit more flexible that would allow me to be at home more”
Fifty-two-year-old Jackie Shove, originally from Essex, has had a long and varied career. After serving for almost a decade in the Royal Air Force, she joined the police at 30, where she undertook a variety of roles; from training up new recruits and policing traffic, to working in intelligence and on the frontlines as an inspector.
But, in 2019, after 19 years in the police force, Jackie decided to take early retirement…
“Policing was a really rewarding job because you’re going out and helping people,” Jackie tells us. “But it’s also extremely difficult and challenging at times. The amount of work was intense. Near the end, I was doing 12, 13, and 14-hour shifts. That’s why, at 50, I’d had enough, really.
“I also had a lot of personal things going on at that time which were impacting my ability to do my job. I have a partner that’s not been very well, so I was coming home early from work a lot. Towards the end, I wasn’t able to give my job 100%. I needed something a bit more flexible that would allow me to be at home more.”
One day, not long after she closed the curtain on her career in law enforcement, Jackie was leafing through a magazine when she spotted an advertisement for school caretaker roles with TIB Services.
“Although I’m not skilled in a specific trade [...] I was confident that I could do all the DIY that the job required”
![Although I’m not skilled in a specific trade [...] I was confident that I could do all the DIY that the job required](https://media.restless.co.uk/uploads/2022/09/although-im-not-skilled-in-a-specific-trade.jpg)
Fifty-nine-year-old David Edmondson spotted the same advert. The father-of-three from Eastcote has had a distinguished career in law enforcement; from working as a marine support officer on the Thames to protecting royalty at Windsor Castle and Balmoral.
Since retiring from the Metropolitan Police in 2014, after 30 years of service, David’s worked a number of jobs, including four years driving as a chauffeur for a Lord. But when that came to a close, he was looking for something a little different…
“Although I’m not skilled in a specific trade like a plumber or an electrician, I was confident that I could do all the DIY that the job required. As a husband, father, and house owner, you become familiar with doing certain bits and bobs. So I rang up TIB, had a chat, and they said, ‘We think you’re the right man for the job. When are you available?’”
Ever since joining TIB back in June 2020, David has worked at a few schools in the North West London area. But for the past year, he’s been at a small primary school in Willesden. He says, “It’s a lovely school with very nice staff and children. I’ve really enjoyed it so far.”
“I always try to [...] leave people with a smile on their face, just like I did in the police”
Caretaking involves a wide range of duties like opening the premises in the morning and locking up at the end of the day, supervising cleaning teams, and doing general maintenance. But for David, there’s more to the job than that…
“I think people skills and communication skills are massively important in a role like this,” David tells us. “It’s not just about fixing things and making sure that there are paper towels in the toilets. It’s about being part of the school community; being someone that other people can come to.
“I’m a father of three, so I’m used to talking to children. I get on really with them. Actually, a few of them have said to the teachers that I would be the one they’d go to if they had an issue at school – like bullying or something like that. When the headteacher heard about that, she was thrilled!
“One of the best things about this role is that I rarely find myself sitting in my office with nothing to do. I always try to be helpful and available. My youngest daughter is a teacher at another school, so I know how hard they work, and the pressures and the demands that they’re under. I always try to help ease their day and leave people with a smile on their face, just like I did in the police.”
Jackie says, “It can be physically harder than some jobs because you’re fixing things and carrying things around. And sometimes, you really have to have a good think about what you’re fixing and how best to do it. But mentally, it’s not too challenging – and you never take your work home with you.”
Jackie on work-life balance: “It gives me more time to go away in my caravan, and I get to go down to Essex to see my mum more”
As well as the sense of reward that helping people on a daily basis can give you and the opportunity to become a trusted member of a school community, one of the most appealing things about working for TIB Services is the flexibility. As a TIB school caretaker, you can choose which jobs you’d like to take on and when – whether that be full-time assignments or flexible part-time opportunities.
“It’s lovely working for TIB,” Jackie says. “They’re so relaxed and flexible. A good example would be last year when my Dad became sick. I needed some time off, so I rang up and said, ‘This is what’s happened, I have to go and look after my Dad.’ And it wasn’t an issue.
“In the police, you’d really struggle to get support and time off. But I don’t have this problem now. It’s a different kettle of fish.”
The freedom and flexibility that comes with being a TIB Services caretaker has allowed Jackie to find an arrangement that suits her. Currently working at a grammar school in Blackburn, she job-shares with another caretaker – each working one week on, one week off.
“My work-life balance is so much better now,” she explains. “It gives me more time to go away in my caravan, and I get to go down to Essex to see my mum more.”
“Now, I’ve got more time for my family, and for my golf and other activities”
David too has found a better work-life balance through working as a school caretaker. He says, “I’m at that stage in my life where I don’t necessarily want to work every single day of the week. And in this job, I can be a bit more choosey than I ever could in a permanent position. If I don’t like a position, I know I can move on and go somewhere else.
“God knows how many parties, social occasions, and family birthdays I missed over the years when I was in the police. Now, I’ve got more time for my family, and for my golf and other activities.
“My Dad’s 91 now and is needing a bit more help. So I can be more available to him. I’m also about to become a Grandad for the first time at Christmas, so we can help our daughter out with childcare or just go and see her.”
“This job is ideal for people over 50 because we’ve been there, seen it, done it [...] We’re confident in our abilities”
As long as you have some home DIY experience, you can become a caretaker without any formal qualifications. Though, as with any role, there are some qualities that might make you particularly suitable for the job…
David says, “You’ve got to have patience as a caretaker. You might just have got your drill out to start a maintenance job when the phone rings: there’s a flooded toilet. It’s often difficult to start a job and finish it in one go. You’re sometimes pulled from pitch to post, which is fine, but you’ve got to be able to leave things and come back to them. That’s why timekeeping skills are important too.”
Jackie says, “As well as being trustworthy and responsible, you’ve got to be flexible and willing to have a go at anything.
“You’ll never hear me say, ‘That’s not my remit.’ That’s why I think this job is ideal for people over 50, because we’ve been there, seen, it, done it. We’re confident in our abilities.”
“Schools like someone who doesn’t need to be managed, and life experience can help with that,” David agrees.
Final thoughts from Jackie and David…
Whether you’re looking for a role that’s flexible, rewarding, or will allow you to work with your hands, school caretaking can be a great career opportunity for people in later life wanting to make a change…
David says, “For me, it’s a nice way to begin retirement in that I’m still doing something that’s valid and valuable – because every school needs someone to look after the grounds and property. So you can make a rewarding contribution.
“It’s also something that you can do without any formal qualifications. All you need is some common sense, life skills, and a bit of DIY knowledge – which most people will have if they’ve owned a house for 30-odd years.”
I highly recommend it,” Jackie adds. “Especially if you’re coming from a really busy job like I was. Although it was really fulfilling, it took over my life mentally. Towards the end of my career in the police, I was dreading going to work. But now I enjoy my job! It was a no-brainer for me.”
If you’re interested in finding out more about TIB Services, why not head over to their informative page on the Rest Less website? Or, you can browse the caretaking roles that they have available.