My journey: from chef to maintenance operative at Portus Property Management - Wayne Rimmer

In our latest Meet the Team story, Wayne Rimmer, of the Portus Property Management team, shares his journey from professional kitchens to supported housing maintenance.

Read Maintenance Operative Wayne Rimmers' story: 

If you’d told me years ago that I’d end up working in supported housing, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. I started out as a chef.

From the kitchen to a crossroads

I trained in hospitality and catering at university and went straight into kitchen work. It was full-on - long days, high pressure, sometimes 16 or 17 hours on your feet. But I loved it.

I’d been cooking since I was about four, so it wasn’t just a job, it was a passion. Over time, I worked my way up, earned awards, gained recognition and eventually reached a point where I felt I’d achieved what I set out to do. That’s when I realised I needed something new.

Finding a new path

I didn’t have a grand plan. I just knew I wanted a different challenge. I ended up moving into engineering and maintenance work, and it came quite naturally to me. I liked working with my hands, solving problems, figuring things out.

The turning point came through a friend who worked in a school supporting children and adults with learning disabilities and autism. I’d been helping out in the kitchens there at weekends and he suggested I join his maintenance team.

I said yes - and I stayed there for 10 years.

Learning a trade - and much more

That’s where I really learned my trade. Plumbing, electrics, plastering, decorating - the whole spectrum. You pick things up quickly when you’re hands-on every day. But more importantly, that’s where I learned about people.

A lot of the individuals we supported were non-verbal or had very limited communication. I realised early on that if I wanted to do the job properly, I needed to meet them where they were.

So I taught myself Makaton and started learning British Sign Language. It’s still something I’m learning now - it never really stops. But it changed everything.

Seeing the person, not the condition

Once you can communicate, even in a basic way, it breaks down barriers. You start to understand people properly. You see beyond the disability and connect with the person.

I remember one young lad who used to follow me everywhere while I was working. At first, I didn’t understand what he was trying to tell me. Once I started learning and communicating better, everything changed. Moments like that stick with you.

If I’m honest, that’s when I realised this was the kind of work I wanted to do long-term.

Moving into supported housing

From there, I moved into a maintenance role, where I spent three years continuing to build my experience in maintenance within supported housing environments. That eventually led me to Portus Property Management. For me, it felt like a natural next step.

Why I do what I do now

People sometimes ask if I miss being a chef. The honest answer is no - not in terms of work. I still cook for family and friends, so that part of me is still there.

But what I do now gives me something different.

In supported housing, when something goes wrong in someone’s home, it can have a big impact on their day-to-day life. Fixing that problem isn’t just about the repair - it’s about helping someone feel safe, settled and in control again.

You see the difference straight away. That’s what gives me job satisfaction.

A different kind of reward

In the kitchen, you work hard, but you don’t always see the end result in the same way. In this role, the reward is immediate.

You fix something, you talk to someone, you take the time to understand them - and you can see the relief, the change in their mood, the trust building. That means a lot.

Still learning, still moving forward

I’m still learning every day. Whether that’s developing new technical skills or improving how I communicate with customers, there’s always something to build on.

Looking back, it’s not a path I planned. But it’s one I’m glad I took.