A CARER has celebrated 35 years of service after joining the sector aged just 18.

Clare McKenzie, 53, has been recognised for her decades of service at social care charity Guild Care.

As part of the celebrations, Clare, from Worthing, was presented with a certificate and a bouquet of flowers to “honour the dedication she has shown in caring for the community”.

Clare joined the care sector in 1987 when she was 18 as a carer at Guild Care’s former Frasier Lodge care home, which has since been replaced by Linfield House

Over the past three decades Clare has worked across the charity’s care homes, including Caer Gwent and Ashmount, which closed in 2012.

Clare made the move on to home care in 2001, and has worked through visiting people ever since

She says she values the community bonds that working in home care brings and the family spirit that is so 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.

Clare 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.”

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.”

Guild Care is a social care charity serving Worthing and its surrounding areas.

Founded in 1933 by a group of volunteers, today it provides a range of care and support services.

Alongside its three care homes – Haviland House, Caer Gwent and Linfield House – it provides over 30 community services across the Worthing area for older people, people living with dementia, and children and adults with learning disabilities.