Egalité Care: Family-owned Worthing care organisation shares success story of one of its youngest team members to encourage others into a career in the industry

Asha Fallon at 19 is one of the most progressive team members at Egalité Care and the family-owned business is sponsoring her to study for her Level 3 diploma in health and social care.

Devoted to giving others a better life, Asha dropped out of college as she decided she preferred a salary over higher education.

She says she has found respect, enjoyment and career ambition since she started her job just over a year ago and she is keen to tell people that a care role is not boring or, as often stereotyped, unpleasant.

Asha said: "There’s a young man my age that I look after who has a low level of sight and is therefore very sensory. He knows my voice and when I come on shift, he’s there smiling at me – I love that.”

Debbie Clark, founder of Egalité Care, said Asha is impressing her managers with her drive. She added: "This morning, Asha was administering medication via a gastrostomy tube. She’s made an impression on us with the level of competence she’s been able to achieve in a relatively short space of time. We think she is an inspiration to those thinking that jobs like hers are unskilled.”

Egalité means equality and the business employs 98 carers from various walks of life. It has won multiple awards and was selected for filming as part of the Department of Health and Social Care's Made with Care national advertising campaign.

It is now in desperate need of applicants for open roles to enable the business to care for more adults of all ages.

Asha, who has always lived in Worthing, said: "The hardest aspect of the job for me is when one of our clients is upset or ill, I just want to make them better. My job is a continual reminder that life could be so different for me and that it is dramatically different for others.”

The social media accounts for Egalite give an indication how much fun the team and clients have. Trips to the New Forest, afternoon teas, visits to the fire station and West End theatre are all part of the normal routine.

Debbie said: "We really want our team to feel valued and to enjoy themselves. Our aim is to always be there for support, both physical and emotional, with management available on the phone out of hours, too. When we won the Worthing and Adur Business Award for covid response last November, we were so proud of every single person.”

Asha feels fulfilled in her new career and says she wants to stay in care, though she may eventually look to progress into nursing for adults with disabilities. Her advice to others is: "There are varying levels of need here so don’t be scared, just do it!”