Plymouth Resident Swaps His Job As Cabin Crew For New Chapter In Care

Once flying high, Matthew Kavanagh left his cabin crew job to take on a new challenge and is now working as a support worker at Plymouth based care home, Kanner Project.

Matthew worked as cabin crew for British Airways back in the late 2000s and at the same time was volunteering at SCOPE (now Ambito) day services in Brighton. He found that a care role was more rewarding and joined SCOPE full-time. After a couple of years Matthew left the UK to teach English to pre-school children in Cambodia, which he enjoyed for two years. Upon his return to the UK, Matthew was keen to work in care and applied to become a support worker at a Salutem day care facility in Plymouth.

Due to COVID-19, the facility Matthew worked at was closed in May 2020, and the staff dispersed to other services under the Salutem umbrella. Matthew was sent to Kanner Project, which provides specialist residential care for up to five residents with complex needs, including those with autistic spectrum disorder, learning difficulties and challenging behaviours.

Matthew Kavanagh, support worker at The Kanner Project, said: “I loved my new post so much that I sought after a permanent transfer. Since May 2020 I have been part of the team at Kanner Project, and I have never been happier in my life.”

Vic Brelsford-Ward, manager of The Kanner Project, said: “Matthew has quickly become an essential member of our care team and the residents love having him around. He is an excellent carer and we are glad that he joined us in May.”