The story of two international graduates who built new lives in the UK and found unexpected careers at autism charity Kingwood, supporting autistic adults to live more independently.
Autism at Kingwood is a charity and social care provider supporting autistic adults to live independently across Oxfordshire and Berkshire.
In 2023, the charity joined the UK government sponsorship licence scheme, enabling it to employ support staff from outside the EU, all of whom were already living in the UK. Since then, the scheme has helped strengthen the workforce, bringing a wealth of talent, experience and fresh perspectives. Many sponsored colleagues have gone on to build long-term careers in social care, with several progressing into senior support worker roles.
Among them are Jennifer Oburoh and Adedotun Adebisi, who were shortlisted in the Newcomer category at the National Learning Disabilities and Autism Awards. Their manager nominated them for the exceptional support they provide to five autistic men with learning disabilities and complex needs.
Both Jennifer and Adedotun came to the UK to complete master’s degrees and chose to stay after graduating, looking for meaningful work and new opportunities.
Jennifer, 42, was a nurse in Nigeria before moving to the UK.
“Working for Autism at Kingwood has been both a pleasure and an opportunity for me because I have a love for care,” she says. “Back home I did a lot of one-to-one bedside care, so I seized the opportunity to use my knowledge and skills to support vulnerable people here in the UK. Kingwood has given me the room to grow in this field.”
Jennifer credits ongoing specialist training and support from her manager for helping her develop and says it has increased her confidence and strengthened her ability to deliver personalised support.
She has seen first-hand how the right encouragement can help people learn new skills and gain greater independence. One example is James, a wheelchair user who is non-verbal.
“A few weeks ago, he spilt some water,” Jennifer explains. “I got the mop and suggested he mop the floor with my support. And he did it! I messaged his mum afterwards and she replied, ‘Please tell him to come over to my home and start mopping!’”
Adedotun’s route into social care was less expected. Originally from Nigeria, he completed a master’s degree in finance before discovering a passion for supporting others.
“When I started working in social care, I felt I was making a difference to people’s lives,” he says. “I felt fulfilled. I discovered an inbuilt compassion to support people who were vulnerable, and a desire to support them in a way that would improve their lives.”
Like Jennifer, Adedotun believes investment in training and development has been key to his success. He is committed to progressing his career and is currently undertaking NVQ qualifications to further develop his skills and future opportunities within the sector.
Both Jennifer and Adedotun describe the UK as a welcoming place to live and work, while recognising the resilience required to build a new life in another country.
“Coming to the UK to study and then finding work in a completely new sector takes a lot of work,” says Adedotun.
He lives by the Nigerian philosophy “whatever your hands find to do, do it with all your might”, where hard work and purpose are seen as a way of honouring one’s community. He believes this principle has helped him bring focus, commitment and compassion to every shift he works.
Autism at Kingwood is proud of Jennifer, Adedotun and its sponsored colleagues, and the contribution they make every day. The scheme has helped the charity build a stable and committed workforce, improve continuity of support and achieve better outcomes for the people it supports. It has also reduced agency staffing to just 6%, demonstrating the positive impact investing in people can have for individuals, staff and services alike.
“Whatever your hands find to do, do it with all your might.”
