Meet the Addiction Treatment Team | Linwood House

Amanda Sellers

Centre Manager – Linwood House

Amanda brings several years of management experience in drug and alcohol treatment services, with a strong background in leadership, service development, and frontline support. She is deeply committed to supporting recovery and improving outcomes for individuals affected by substance use. Amanda is passionate about enhancing access to effective, person-centred care and works to strengthen the links between services and communities. Her focus on building healthier, more resilient communities underpins her approach to service delivery and leadership.

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Julie Woolley

Lead Therapist

Julie is a trained drug and alcohol counsellor and has worked in the substance misuse field for nineteen years, fourteen of which have been dedicated to Linwood House.

She enjoys working with the 12-step programme and seeing clients get well and grow in confidence through group work and beginning their recovery journey.

She has been Lead Therapist for thirteen years and works with a team of six therapists.

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Carol Wright

Cook

Carol has been working as a cook for the last nine years, with six of them at Linwood house. She has level 2 in Food Safety in Catering and Supervising Food Safety level 3 with merit.

She likes to think that she is helping clients on their way to recovery by providing them with healthy and nutritious meals.

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Alison Sanders

Cook

Alison brings over 15 years of experience as a cook in a care home environment, where she has developed a strong foundation in preparing nutritious, balanced meals. Alongside her professional role, she has volunteered at a local centre supporting individuals facing homelessness and substance misuse. Alison is passionate about supporting people on their recovery journey through food, recognising the importance of nourishment in overall wellbeing. She approaches her work with compassion and a deep commitment to treating everyone with the same respect and dignity she would want for herself or her own family.

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Linda Shepherd

Chef

Linda joined Linwood House 28 years ago, starting out as a pot washer. Today, she is one of four dedicated cooks at the centre. Over nearly three decades, Linda has become a familiar and comforting presence to both staff and residents. She takes pride in preparing healthy, nutritious meals that support clients on their journey to recovery — and she never underestimates the power of a kind conversation.

For Linda, it’s more than just cooking — it’s about being part of each person’s healing process in her own meaningful way.

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Tracy Taylor

Chef

Tracy has been a valued member of the Linwood team for nearly a year. With extensive experience in catering, she takes great pride in her work, knowing that she plays a role in supporting clients on their journey to a healthier lifestyle. Her passion for helping others shines through in everything she does at Linwood.

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India Smith

Senior Support Worker

India joined Linwood House as a support worker in June 2022 after working in the care field.

In September 2023, she gained the role of Senior Support Worker and is fully committed to helping those who need support with alcohol/drug detoxification and rehabilitation. India feels this is a challenge worth pursuing after working in other areas of care settings.

India has a Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care and a Level 3 Diploma in Psychology. She loves her role of helping individuals with substance misuse issues and finds great satisfaction in helping them recover.

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Nothando Mdluli

Support Worker

Nothando Mdluli has been a dedicated member of the team at Linwood House for nearly two years. She began her journey as agency staff, where her compassion, reliability and strong work ethic quickly stood out. In July 2023, she became a permanent Support Worker, continuing to provide vital day-to-day care and encouragement to clients throughout their recovery journey.

Nothando is deeply passionate about supporting individuals through the challenges of addiction and mental health, helping them feel safe, heard, and motivated every step of the way. Her calm and empathetic nature makes her a valued presence within the Linwood team and a trusted support for clients.

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Graham Phillips

Support Worker

Graham has worked in the field of substance misuse for almost nine years. Addiction and mental health issues within his own family network became a driving force for him to pursue a career helping others.

Graham felt that working within this sector would be most rewarding.

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Clare Brettoner

Support Worker

Clare has been working in substance misuse for over 11 years. She always goes the extra mile to support clients and is very passionate about helping others in addiction. She has a very good understanding of addiction and finds it very rewarding.

Clare has a level 2 in health and social care, substance misuse, holistic therapy and ear seeding. Clare has completed her level 2 counselling qualification and is looking forward to starting her level 3 counselling course.

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Andrew Garthwaite

Night Support Worker

Andrew has worked for Linwood House from 2013 as a Night Support Worker. He has over thirty years’ experience in the mental health environment, which includes working with children and adults alike.

Andrew has a level 2 Diploma in Health and Social Care (Adults) for England (QCF). He also has a Level 3 Diploma in Psychology.

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Angela Garthwaite

Night Support Worker

Angela has worked at Linwood house since 2005. She started as a Laundry Assistant and then progressed to Cleaner/Housekeeper, reaching to her current position as a Night Support Worker.

She has over thirty years’ experience in Mental Health, which Includes children and adults. Angela has a Level 2 Diploma in Health and Social Care (Adults) for England (QCF) She also has a City and Guilds Level 2 in Hotel Management.

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Stephanie Vaile

Housekeeper

Stephanie has been a valued member of the housekeeping team at Linwood House since July 2022. She takes pride in ensuring that everything is clean and well-maintained, always striving to make sure clients have everything they need for a comfortable and supportive environment.

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