Empowering Rhiannon’s compassion and commitment for a successful career!
Rhiannon Woodham is one of our super support colleagues at 46 London Road, our specialist brain injury rehabilitation home in Gloucestershire. She started her career with Voyage Care in 2018 as a Support Worker at nearby sister service, Theoc House.
While walking her dog one day, she spotted a recruitment poster outside the home. New to the area and looking for a new career path, she popped in for more information. Warmly greeted by the Service Manager, Rhiannon arranged an interview. Soon after, she received the exciting news she’d got the job!
Arriving for her first shift with no social care experience, Rhiannon was understandably nervous. But by getting to know the people we support and her new kind, caring team, she quickly found her feet. And these positive first steps paved the way for her taking big leaps along her new career path.
Since that fateful dog walk, Rhiannon has moved through different roles, gaining incredible knowledge and experience along the way. From the day she joined us, she’s shown admirable dedication to each position she’s pursued. Now, she’s thriving in a role she never dreamed she’d be in!
Succeeding in social care
Before joining us as a Support Worker, Rhiannon had no experience in social care. She’d previously worked in lots of customer-facing roles and had a wide variety of transferrable skills.
When she first started this position at Theoc House, she had a period of finding her feet. The environment and the needs of the people we support were completely new to her. Like most of us, she’d built up a picture of what support work might involve. Soon, she found it was nothing like she’d imagined. Alongside supporting people to perform essential daily living tasks and personal care, she also supported them to pursue exciting opportunities in the local community.
Working with people who have complex neurological needs brought additional duties, challenges, and expectations to her role. Our brain injury support is focused on empowering independence. So, goals and enhancing independent living skills quickly became a key part of Rhiannon’s daily support.
From the day she joined us, we ensured she was nurtured to succeed in her role. With intensive, specialist training in her first few weeks, she gained the knowledge needed to kick start a successful career. After her training, she had lots of opportunities to put her new knowledge into practice. She shadowed other support colleagues, observing first-hand how to deliver person-centred support.
Surrounded by an encouraging team, Rhiannon was empowered to ask lots of questions. Everyone was happy to answer and help her learn and develop. When she faced challenges, they rallied round to support her. With their compassion and motivation, she was motivated to succeed in social care.
Caring career
Rhiannon took great value from her role as a Support Worker. Her positive attitude, dedication to the people we support, and eagerness to learn meant she soon started to climb the career ladder.
First, she stepped up to become a Senior Support Worker at Theoc House. Then, just one year later, a new opportunity presented itself to her. A role for a dual-site Therapy Lead at Theoc House and 46 London Road cropped up. Rhiannon’s Manager knew she was the right person for the job and recommended she applied. Unsure about whether it was right for her, Rhiannon started doing some homework.
Regularly meeting with our therapy clinicians, she gained a better perspective of what might be involved in a Therapy Lead role. Soon, Rhiannon was extremely interested in pursuing this opportunity and didn’t hesitate to apply. She was thrilled when she found out she’d been successful!
Stepping up from Senior Support Worker to Therapy Lead was a big change for Rhiannon. So, we arranged for some support from an experienced colleague at one of our other homes. We knew Rhiannon responded well to practical training, and getting stuck in at another service was a beneficial experience for her. She was soon thriving on the challenges and variety of her new role.
Working hard and continuously developing, another exciting opportunity would soon present itself to her.
Positive steps forward
Rhiannon was in her role as a Therapy Lead at Theoc House and 46 London Road for around two years when the position for a Deputy Manager at London Road opened. After watching her incredible progression over the years, her Manager at Theoc House encouraged her to apply for the role. They knew she was ready for the challenge.
She’d gained essential front-line experience as a Support Worker and had an intricate understanding of the deeper elements of rehabilitation as a Therapy Lead. Together, these two roles had prepared her with the skills and knowledge needed to become a Deputy Manager.
To her delight, Rhiannon was successful! In July 2025, she started her new role as Deputy Manager at 46 London Road!
Committed and compassionate
Now, Rhiannon’s duties are split between front-line rehabilitation support, team management, and supporting our Service Manager with operational duties. Not only does she play a key role in improving the wellbeing of the people we support, but she ensures their home is a safe and happy place to live.
A true team player, Rhiannon is thriving in her managerial role. She enjoys leading and inspiring our committed, compassionate colleagues at 46 London Road. Every day, she instils our company ethos and takes pride in working with people who share the same values as her.
Since her first day in 2018, Rhiannon has remained devoted to the people we support, and we’ve remained committed to her progress. We’ve empowered her to engage her skills and interests and embrace new challenges. But for her, there’s one thing that keeps her motivated each day:
“Understanding how quickly someone’s life can change inspires me to keep achieving more. The most rewarding part of my job is seeing the people we support regain control of their futures.”