Meet our people: working at Leonard Cheshire

At Leonard Cheshire, our teams make a real difference every day. Across our services, our staff empower disabled adults to live the life they choose — with independence, dignity, and fun.

Here, two colleagues from Fethneys – our residential service in Worthing – share their stories. Their experiences give a real insight into what it’s like to work in social care, the impact on people’s lives, and why they love being part of Leonard Cheshire.

Meet Alwin – Support Worker at Fethneys

“Even a small positive difference in someone’s life means a lot to me.”

Alwin has worked at Fethneys for three years. His enthusiasm for care work developed at university, where he began supporting disabled adults during his studies. That spark grew into a career where he now helps people live their lives to the full.

Support worker Alwin

Tell us about your role
I am a support worker at Fethneys – a residential service for up to 10 disabled adults in Worthing, West Sussex. I am in my late twenties, and I have been working at Fethneys for almost three years.

My interest in care began during my time at university, where I did some care work alongside my studies. After finishing university, I had jobs in different care services supporting disabled adults. All of this helped me realise how passionate I am about this field.

The experience eventually led me to join Fethneys, where I have grown both personally and professionally while supporting the residents.

As well as helping people with their individual care needs, I will support them to do the things that are important to them and help them live the life they want.

What does a typical day at work look like for you?
Every individual is unique and at Fethneys we support several young people, which makes each workday varied and engaging. A typical day starts with helping residents with their morning personal care, giving any medication they need, and assisting with breakfast. After that, the day really depends on what each person wants to do. We support residents with a variety of activities. One day might involve going to a rugby match or a football match. Another day might involve watching a movie at home or going to the cinema. And on a different day there might be a shopping trip, a visit to the local park, or a meal out. My role is to be there for them, helping them to enjoy their day and to feel supported in whatever they choose to do.

What do you love about your job?
I enjoy interacting with people and supporting them to go on trips and activities they like. It’s very rewarding to know that I’m helping to remove barriers and to make things possible for people. As a non-disabled person, I have the freedom to go to lots of places – wherever and whenever I want. Although the world isn’t always fully accessible for disabled people, I try to provide that same freedom. With the right support, I hope I can help the people here to enjoy the opportunities and independence they deserve.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Making even a small positive difference in someone’s life means a lot to me. I believe that the little things we do can have a big impact. And there’s nothing more rewarding than seeing the joy and pride on someone’s face when they achieve something they couldn’t do before. Moments like that remind me why I love this work and why supporting people to live their lives fully is so important.

What advice would you give to someone joining us?
My advice would be to take the time to really listen to the people we support. Understanding people’s needs, preferences, and experiences will help you succeed in your role and get the most out of it. You will then also truly see the difference the team makes every day.

Meet Linda – Support Worker at Fethneys

“You feel like you’re making a positive difference — that’s a good feeling.”

Linda has been at Fethneys for three years. Her role combines personalised care with helping people enjoy daily life – whether that’s a trip out, a shared meal, or pursuing hobbies.

Tell us about your role
I am a support worker at Fethneys – a residential service for up to 10 disabled adults. It’s in Worthing, West Sussex. We’re close to the town and not far from the coast. I’ve been here for just over two and a half years. I help people with the care they need, and I help people to go out and access the community.

What does a typical day at work look like for you?
Well, no day is exactly the same. It depends on what assistance people need, and what people want to do.

One of the residents often wants to go into town. She loves to go out shopping, with a bit of support. Sometimes, she likes to grab a bite to eat. We’ll have a nice walk along the seafront first, and head to a restaurant or café. There are some good places in Worthing! And sometimes we’ll go to a show.

What do you love about your job?
As well as the trips out, I often help with the cooking and I really like that. The residents and staff plan meals in advance. I, and some other staff, help to make the meals people have chosen.

When I can see people enjoying the food they like best, and going where they want to go, it’s a good feeling. You feel like you are doing your job properly and making a positive difference.

Can you tell me about a proud moment for you at Leonard Cheshire?
We managed to help one resident, Ashley, to get a new wheelchair. We got in touch with the NHS Wheelchair Service. He had been waiting for months. We helped him to sort it out.

The key NHS seating specialist was unfortunately off sick, so there was a delay. Ashley hadn’t been up and about as much as usual: his last chair was getting old and unsuitable. But after lots of phoning and chasing and appointments, things finally clicked into place. He got his new chair.

Ash has much better postural support now, so his pain levels have decreased, and his comfort levels have improved tremendously. He can be up and about much more now, back to doing what he wants.

What advice would you give to someone joining us?
Get to know residents. We have a good bunch of people here.