Guild Care: Worthing care assistant recognised for 35 years of service

Clare McKenzie, 53, started work in 1987 at the age of 18 as a carer at Frazer Lodge, which has since been replaced by the charity's state-of-the-art care home Linfield House in Wykeham Road.

To celebrate her dedication over the decades, she was presented with a certificate and bouquet of flowers by Kerry Helyar, home care manager.

Clare worked at several of the charity’s care homes, including Ashmount, which closed in 2012, and Caer Gwent, before making the move to home care in 2001.

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She said: “You build such strong relationships with the people you care for and their families. Because Guild Care values continuity for clients, it allows you and the family to form a real bond. I love making those personal connections – learning someone’s likes and dislikes and helping to build their confidence.”

Clare says she values the community bonds that working in home care brings and the family spirit that is integral to Guild Care. She loves getting to know the people she cares for on a one-to-one basis while visiting them in their homes.

Leanne Jones, director of HR at Guild Care, said: “We’re so proud of Clare – not just for her dedication to Guild Care but to the Worthing community as a whole. She brings joy to everyone around her and really represents the values we hold dear at Guild Care.”