TERRY McCARTHY spent 30 years working for British Steel and British Coal.

Little did he know then that he would swap heavy industry for the caring touch - by helping a housing association's tenants with learning disabilities.

And now Mr McCarthy, 51, says he has now finally found job satisfaction. Mr McCarthy, who worked for 20 years as a clerical officer for British Steel and for ten years for British Coal, said: "Work has meant desk jobs and paperwork for most of my life so I wasn't sure I had the skills for this kind of career - I had always been a people person though.

"I started because I had never really experienced job satisfaction - I used to visit my brother-in-law who was a Charter Housing tenant with learning disabilities and it really struck me how rewarding the job seemed for the carers."

Now Mr McCarthy has been worked for Charter Housing for six years, supporting clients and helping them to live their lives as independently as possible.

He has recently been promoted to lead support worker - he now trains others to support tenants.

He said: "I came from a background that taught me to protect and help those people who are in need but if you'd told me 15 years ago I'd have been doing this, I would have laughed.

"Now my only regret is that I didn't start earlier. I simply love my work. Of a day I might help a client with personal care, or help them get out to access their benefits or just for a pint.

"In my youth it wasn't fashionable for men to be doing this kind of work.

"We've had to change our attitudes - it's not about gender anymore but about ability - anyway, I'm too old to be worrying about my street credibility."