A grandfather-of-eight who embarked on a social care career after a heartbreaking redundancy is in the running for a national industry award.

Leslie Wheelan, from Morriston, Swansea, had spent most of his adult life working in cosmetics factories when he received the devastating news he was being made redundant in his early 50s.

With a mortgage to pay and two teenage daughters and a wife to support, the 68-year-old threw caution to the wind and applied for a position as a support worker with Swansea-based M&D Care, assisting people with learning disabilities and mental health needs – and to his amazement discovered his true calling.

Now a senior support worker at a Supported Living Service in Crown Street, Morriston, helping adults to fulfil their dreams and regain their independence so they can return to live within the community, he has been announced as a finalist in this year’s Wales Care Awards.

The Wales Care Awards, sponsored overall by Meddyg Care and organised by care industry champions Care Forum Wales, pay tribute to the frontline heroes of social care, with all finalists guaranteed to come away with either a gold, silver or bronze prize in recognition of their achievements.

Leslie has been put forward for the Care Practitioner in Small Group or Supported Living gong, sponsored by Cartref Ni, and will discover his fate at a glittering awards ceremony to be held at Holland House Hotel in Cardiff on Friday, October 17.

Leslie, who has eight grandchildren, said: “I was quite taken aback when I found out – it’s not often you get to be nominated for a national award.

“I’m over the moon! My manager put me forward, she pushes us to be the best we can be and is an inspiration. We all work as a team, and it’s a team effort. I’m elated.”

Leslie, who grew up in Birchgrove, Swansea, worked in factories after leaving school and had never entertained the idea of becoming a social care worker. But when he was made redundant around 17 years ago, he said he was forced to rethink his future.

“It was a very daunting experience,” he said.

“We all went into the warehouse, and that’s when they told us. There was stunned silence all round when we all walked into the locker room to get our things. A lot of people had been there since their early teens.

“My own daughters were in their teens at the time. I had a mortgage, and everything runs through your mind at about 100 miles per hour, but you get through it. It wasn’t a nice time.”

Leslie took a year out to reflect on what he wanted to do in the future. One day, while scanning the local newspaper for jobs, he spotted a role with M&D Care at Rotherslade House near Mumbles. He went along to the interview and was thrilled to be offered the role of a support worker.

“I was quite nervous about going into care work initially but I once I started, I quickly realised the foundations were already there. I’d been doing it my whole life from a very early age!

“I’m the eldest of seven children and when my parents separated, I was dressing them, giving them breakfast and getting them to school before I even got ready myself to help my father. Without realising it, I was already doing care work.

“It’s in everybody and now, for me, it’s bringing out those skills in more detail. I only wish I’d taken it up much earlier.”

Leslie is now semi-retired and works two days a week. His colleagues praise his ability to handle challenging situations with resilience and professionalism. Through his patience, understanding, and ability to remain calm, they say he can aptly de-escalate situations and provide comfort.

“It’s not a physical job but mentally it can be challenging,” said Leslie.

“As long as I still have my own health, I can see myself still doing it.

“I’m always calm and collected and will always listen. You become part of their family and try to give them the best advice and support as I would my own children. It’s very rewarding, you get to support someone for many years and then see them move on to independent living and that’s the greatest reward you could get.

“I’ve never won anything in my life. I feel quite gracious for this experience and just to be at the final whether I win or not is enough. It’s a real privilege to get this far.

“I think the social care sector is very underrated and the people within it don’t get enough credit. It can be just as skilled, demanding and intense as any other profession – if not more – and it’s a real shame the many good people out there are not always recognised.”

Sian Henley-Davies, M&D Care’s Marketing Coordinator, said: “We are incredibly proud that three of our outstanding colleagues – Deborah Deru, Rob Hayward, and Les Whelan – have been named as finalists in this year’s Wales Care Awards. Their passion, dedication, and unwavering commitment to the people we support make a real difference every single day.

“Each of them embodies our values and has had a lasting, positive impact on our organisation, their teams, and the wider community. We wish them all the very best for the awards and thank them for the exceptional contribution they make to M&D Care.”

Mario Kreft MBE, the Chair of Care Forum Wales, said: “Care Forum Wales has been working tirelessly for more than 30 years to promote the social care sector.

“We established the Wales Care Awards to show our appreciation to the workforce and the wider sector for the remarkable contribution everybody makes, day in day out.

“The event  underlines the importance of the social care sector. It is the glue that binds our communities together, both socially and economically.

“Our mission is to be the voice of social care in Wales to advocate on the sector’s behalf, holding truth to power in order to secure a fair deal to recognise the dedication of our front line heroes and heroines across our nation.

“If you don’t recognise the people who do the caring you will never provide the standards that people need and never recognise the value of the people who need the care in society.

“Every single one of our finalists is a winner and will be presented with a gold, silver or bronze award.”