Support worker Hema Abeyatunge – who works at a residential service in Twickenham, run by Regard – scooped the Lord Rix award for supporting older people with learning disabilities, at the National Learning Disabilities & Autism Awards 2015. The judging panel commended her for her work with an individual with a phobia of dogs, which meant going out to the park or to public places could cause her acute anxiety, a fear the woman was able to overcome with help and support from Ms Abeyatunge. Hema was nominated by her service manager Aliza Rahman who said: “Hema is an incredibly hard-working carer and her dedication to the people she supports shone through. “No task is too insignificant for her to tackle. She simply jumps in and gets the job done.