A Lisieux Trust manager whose leadership has helped transform a service and empower both residents and staff has been shortlisted for a prestigious national award.

Marie Brown has been nominated for Registered Manager of the Year at the Learning Disabilities and Autism Awards, with the winners set to be announced later this month.

Despite the recognition, Marie remains characteristically modest about her achievement.

“It’s lovely to be nominated for an award and it does mean a lot,” she said. “But I still don’t know who’s nominated me. Nobody has come forward and said it was them, which makes it even more special.”

Marie, who manages our oldest house, Lisieux House and the bungalow next door, believes the nomination belongs as much to her colleagues as it does to her.

“I can’t take credit for anything,” she said. “All I do is say, ‘Let’s try this,’ and then the staff team go and do the rest. Without Dennis, my deputy, and without Charlie, Jade and the rest of the team, I couldn’t do what I do.”

Her focus has always been on creating opportunities for both residents and staff to flourish. One of her proudest achievements has been watching colleagues develop and grow in confidence.

“Seeing Jade [one of the Senior Support Workers] win the Newcomer Award was amazing,” [read about that here] she said. “I’d like to think I’ve had a tiny hand in helping her develop. Watching Charlie [another member of Trust staff] grow into her senior role has been brilliant too.”

When Marie joined the Trust, she says both staff and families had experienced a difficult period of change. Creating a positive culture became one of her priorities.

“I think when I came here, the staff team were quite low because of things that had happened previously,” she said. “Watching them develop into a happy, settled team is all I can ask for.”

That positive culture has translated into meaningful outcomes for residents. Marie points to a series of everyday achievements that have made a significant difference to people’s independence and wellbeing.

“One of the residents now makes his own breakfast and can prepare his packed lunch with a little support,” she explained. “Another can make his own cup of tea if you’re patient and he’ll put his plate in the sink. Those might seem like small things, but they’re huge achievements.”

She also highlighted improvements in residents’ health, confidence and emotional wellbeing.

“We have a resident who has developed a much more positive self-image,” Marie said. “Another doesn’t get upset when people laugh anymore because we’ve spent time helping him understand that people aren’t laughing at him – they’re just happy.”

Behind Marie’s passion for her role is a deeply personal story. After severe health problems several years ago and undergoing extensive treatment, she arrived at Lisieux Trust looking for a fresh start.

“I’d been through a lot, and I’d lost a little bit of who I was,” she said. “Coming here gave me my life back. The residents and staff have given me far more than I could ever give them.”

That sense of gratitude remains at the heart of her work.

“I love my job. It’s the best job in the world,” she said. “To be able to support people to do what they want to do and gain their independence is an absolute honour.”

While Marie insists she doesn’t need an award to validate her work, her nomination stands as recognition of the impact she has made.

“If I left tomorrow, I’d like to think everything would carry on exactly as it is,” she said. “That’s how it should be. Awards are lovely, but seeing people happy, confident and achieving things they never thought possible – that’s the real reward.”