The coronavirus pandemic gave Amazon worker Andrew Watson the push he needed to embark on a new career as a care support worker.

Watching the hardships of his friends and neighbours during the Covid-19 pandemic and seeing the community come together to look after each other during lockdown, Andrew, from Cross Hands, thought it was time for him to take a career leap and get a job offering a more caring role in society.

The 53-year-old decided to join ND Care and Support as a care support worker and he said he hasn't looked back.

"My mother was a nurse for around 40 years and it's about giving back," he said. "Seeing everything turn upside down due to Covid, I knew I wanted to change my job to be a part of people's journeys and support those who needed it most. I love it and wish I had done it a lot sooner."

Andrew works five days a week, providing bespoke care services for people in Carmarthen with a variety of needs. Suport to individuals can vary from personal care, helping with meals and medication, to supporting people who need help to get out and engage with their local community for social inclusion.

ND Care and Support provides specialist care to individuals in the comfort of their own homes and communities. Although Andrew had no formal care training, ND Care recognised that he had transferable skills for a caring role and leaped at the chance to give him the career change he was looking for.

Andrew Downey, Registered Manager, for ND Care & Support’s Cross Hands branch, said: “Having worked with big teams throughout his career in retail, Andrew had excellent people skills and thoroughly enjoyed working closely with others, so was a perfect fit for our work.

“At ND Care & Support, we pride ourselves in supporting our Care Workers to expand their skills as their careers progress and I’m looking forward to helping Andrew achieve career progression within the industry. He is a great example of someone who has had their eyes opened to a different job path due to the pandemic and excels at it.”