
Tuesday 3rd June 2025
Star employees
We’ve been working with the Wiltshire Employment Support Team (WEST) to welcome staff with special educational needs onto our team at Middlefields House, Chippenham. Here are three wonderful people who have come to join us
Hannah, 33, Coffee Shop Assistant

“I’m a Christian and so when my WEST job coach found an advert for a role with a Christian care home I was really keen to apply. I had been working at Buckley Barracks, washing up in the kitchen, but I’d had enough of washing up to be honest. I went for lots of job interviews with no success. I have cerebral palsy and when you have a disability it can feel like no-one wants to give you a go. I was trusting God that something would eventually come up and my friends were praying too, but it was still a tough time.
“When I went for an interview with Pilgrims’ Friend Society the managers took the time to understand and were willing to give me a chance. I started working in the kitchen at Middlefields House when it opened [in August 2021] and then when The Harvest Coffee Shop opened I moved into the Coffee Shop Assistant role.
“At first, there were lots of new things to learn. Because of my disability, it can take me longer to process things. Practising something lots of times really helps – that’s how I’ve got to grips with the coffee machine and all the different coffee types. Visual step-by-step guides help me too. Money is something I find hard and so sometimes I’ll ask a colleague to double check I’ve got it right. I also have a weakness down my left-hand side that I have to allow for. Being able to let Ana, the Coffee Shop Manager, know that I need a five-minute breather makes a lot of difference. As a team, we always look out for each other.
“A big part of my role is about making people feel welcome. We greet people warmly and engage them in light conversation. It’s nice because we have our regulars and I get to know their orders. It’s also nice when ‘family members’ [those who live with us] come in with their relatives, or with a carer or Hummingbird. It’s a very welcoming place.”

In her spare time, Hannah:
• volunteers as a youth group leader with her church
• loves listening to uplifting Christian music. Her favourite songs include ‘Oh Happy Day’ by the Edwin Hawkins Singers and ‘King of Kings’ by Jarrod Cooper
Hannah’s top pick from The Harvest menu:
• sticky toffee pudding
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Lottie, 21, Kitchen Assistant

“Being a kitchen assistant is a busy job. When it’s lunchtime, I’ll help deliver the hot food to the households in trolleys. Then, when everything comes back, I spray it down before it goes through the steriliser. It can get hectic if all the trolleys come back at once so we’ve put in place a system where we bring back one trolley at a time – it’s much more manageable.
“I have lots of little jobs to do around the kitchen, like changing the chemical sprays each week so they stay fresh and emptying the drip trays from the fridge. I’m also responsible for ensuring all the fridges and cupboards in the households’ kitchens are kept stocked up with milk, cereals and bread etc. I have a visual chart I follow to make sure I don’t miss anything.
“I really like chatting to the family members when I’m in the households. There’s a lady called Lina who always makes me laugh and another lady called Judy who is very friendly. Sometimes I’ll help the family members with little things like making them a cup of tea or topping up the milk for their cereal.
“I’ve definitely gained more confidence since coming to work at Middlefields House and I feel more independent too. I live in a village called Staverton and get a taxi to work through the government’s Access to Work scheme – you have to pay £3.25 towards the cost and the government pays the rest.


“I don’t talk about my autism/ learning disabilities too much. I just like to get on with things and have a positive attitude. The team at Middlefields House have been very supportive and have helped me make adjustments where needed. I work three days a week – Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday. Tuesdays are much busier and I was finding it hard to get everything done in the time. We had a chat about it and decided I would work half an hour less on Saturday and Sunday and then use the extra hour on Tuesday instead. This has helped to take the pressure off and made a big difference.”
In her spare time, Lottie:
• likes visiting coffee shops
• enjoys the cinema and is a big fan of Disney films
• has her hands full looking after three dogs – Maui the springer spaniel, Albie the Patterdale terrier and Bertie the Yorkshire terrier
Fraser, 21, Housekeeper
Fraser came to us as part of the Wiltshire Supported Internship scheme and then took on a paid role. We first interviewed him for the Autumn 2024 edition of this magazine. We caught up with him to find out how things are progressing.

“I’m still enjoying my job at Middlefields House. We’ve had some events recently that have been fun, like Valentine’s Day in the Winter Garden where there was a romantic meal for family members with live music.
“To help me in my role, I’ve been learning more about dementia, taking part in online courses and learning from other staff. When I’m doing my housekeeping work people living with dementia sometimes come up to me ask me to do things like letting them out. They know I’m not a carer so I think they think I might agree. It can be tricky because I don’t want to offend anyone but of course we need to keep people safe. I’ll tell them to ask a carer instead, or I’ll go and ask a carer myself.”
In spare time, Fraser:
• enjoys playing rugby with his team the Melksham Stags
About the Wiltshire Employment Support Team (WEST)
This service provided by Wiltshire Council helps young people aged 14 to 25 with special educational needs find and keep jobs with local employers. Each young person is assigned a job coach to identify their skills, plus any areas they need to work on. The job coach then supports them in applying for jobs and preparing for interviews. Should they gain a role, the job coach provides ongoing support.
WEST also runs a SEND Employer Champion initiative to help equip young people with special educational needs with the skills they need and build links with prospective employers. Employers can take part in a number of ways including creating jobs, taking on apprentices/ interns as part of the Wiltshire Supported Internship scheme, offering workplace visits, sharing job descriptions and offering mock interviews.
Through involvement with the initiative, Middlefields House has been recognised as a Wiltshire SEND Employer Champion with a Bronze Star Award.
Jenna Jackson, a job coach with WEST, says...
“Middlefields House have been fantastic with our customers, going above and beyond to welcome them in and give them a well-rounded understanding of job roles in a care home. For some, it can be like starting with a blank canvas. They may not have had great work experience opportunities, or they may not have been expected to do much at home. The team at Middlefields House have made such a difference, whether through teaching practical skills such as how to make a bed or by providing valuable interview experience.
“We’re delighted that three of our customers, Hannah, Lottie and Fraser, are now all paid employees at Middlefields House. It’s wonderful to see how they are blossoming in their roles, in turn bringing huge benefits to their place of employment.”
At Pilgrims’ Friend Society, we have an inclusive approach to employment. If you would like to come and work with us, or know someone who could, please see our Jobs page for all the latest roles: www.pilgrimsfriend.org.uk/jobs
Find out more about Middlefields House

Middlefields House, Chippenham
Our brand-new care home Middlefields House offers excellent care and support to 48 people, living in four households of 12

Meet a coffee shop manager... Ana
Ana, Manager of The Harvest coffee shop, shares how working with us has shaped her faith

BBC Radio 4 come to Middlefields House
On 29th September our care home in Chippenham features on Sunday Worship