Keeley was educated at Mount St Mary's College in Leeds and the University of Salford, gaining a BA in Politics and Contemporary History. Her early career was with IBM, first as a Systems Engineer and then as a Field Systems Engineering Manager. Later she became an independent consultant, working on community regeneration issues across North West England. She was elected as a Labour councillor on Trafford Council in 1995 on which Keeley served as a member for Priory ward until 2004. She was Cabinet member for Children and Young People, Early Years and Childcare and Health and Wellbeing. From 2002 to 2004, she was Cabinet member for Education, Children's Social Services and all services for children and young people and Director of a Pathfinder Children's Trust. She is a member of the GMB Union, the Co-operative Party and the Fabian Society. From 2002 to 2005, she worked as a consultant to the charity, the Princess Royal Trust for Carers, researching carers' issues — particularly those related to primary health care. She is co-author of the reports Carers Speak Out and Primary Carers.
Keeley is concerned about a fall in the number of psychiatrists treating children and young people in England. She has said, "These figures are a severe blow to the government’s plans for children and young people’s mental health, which will come to nothing unless the NHS trains and recruits more child psychiatrists." She has also said, "Children in need of mental health services are being turned away in their droves despite showing evidence of self-harm, while many have to wait six months for treatment to start – all because of a shortage of key clinical staff." Keeley is also concerned about poor standards of care in many private care homes after an investigation found, elderly residents soiling themselves because staff did not attend to them in time, residents with autism suffering inappropriate and disproportionate physical force, patients waiting excessively long after ringing bells because staff are under pressure, elderly residents not treated with respect with underwear exposed and faeces smeared on a cushion, patients put at risk of attack from other patients and medicines handled unsafely. She stated, "This investigation has exposed the appalling standards of care being provided by some of the largest providers of outsourced residential care which has left large numbers of vulnerable people in need of care suffering terrible indignity and neglect." Keeley is further concerned about care workers having their wages docked when they are sick. She has said this is "symptomatic of our broken care system. Good care quality depends on workers with good terms and conditions, but in hollowing out our social care system through relentless cuts to council budgets, this government has empowered irresponsible providers that are driving down workers’ conditions and at the same time damaging the quality of care."
