Kieran Wilding never imagined he’d have a career in care, despite helping out at the residential home where his mum worked when he was younger. He would often lend a hand at mealtimes and would sit and chat or read with residents. But after training as a chef and working in the kitchens of that same care home for a few years, he decided to apply for a job as a care worker.

“I’ve been caring for three and a half years now and I wouldn’t change them for the world,” says Wilding. “It’s not just personal care; we’re friends and family, a shoulder to cry on. It’s not a job, it’s what we love to do.”

Wilding is one of the small – but slowly growing – number of male care workers in the UK; men make up just 18% of the social care workforce – an increase of two percentage points since 2015.

To read Kieran’s full story visit The Guardian website