Our team at
Lauder Lodge

I decided to join Care UK as I loved the time I spent working as an agency nurse within both Murrayside and Lauder Lodge care homes.

I have worked within social care for several years and I started as a care assistant while I completed my nursing training. I then developed into working as a Deputy Manager and Home Manager as well as working in pediatric and neonatal nursing.

The best part of my working day is getting to know the residents and their quirks and I love spending time with them.

Outside of work, family time is important to me and I enjoy spending time with my beautiful nieces and nephews. I have a little dog called Belle who I just adore and she brings genuine happiness to my life. My friends and family are the world to me. When I’m not found with them, I can usually be found spending my wages at the shops!

I spent some months looking for a care home for my mum, and eventually decided on a Care UK home. I was so impressed with the whole process and the continuing support and care my mum receives that I decided I wanted to work for the organisation.

While I used to work in customer relations in the motor industry, moving to the social care sector has been a steep learning curve, particularly getting to grips with regulations, contracts and how we work with local authorities.

One of the best aspects of my job is meeting prospective residents and their families. It's an emotional experience looking for care for a loved one, and people can often be tearful when we lift the burden from them, and they see that their loved one will be cared for like one of our family. It’s very satisfying to help families.

I'm an avid rugby fan, so in my spare time you might find me watching an Edinburgh Rugby match, or motor sport. And my favourite way to unwind is over a long lunch and a few drinks with my family.

Before I joined Lauder Lodge I was working as a Home Manager at another provider, but I decided I needed a change of environment. I knew that Care UK was a very good provider to work for and supports the needs of residents and colleagues.

I’m a Registered Nurse, and completing my Master’s degree in nursing was the proudest moment of my career so far.

Working with residents living with dementia, you need to have a positive attitude and excellent communication skills. I’m proud to make a difference in residents’ lives and make them happy, even if it’s just for a short while.

The most important part of my role is supporting residents on their dementia journeys and giving family and friends guidance to better understand dementia.

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time at home with family, and I love to travel abroad with family and friends.

I’ve worked as a Care Assistant, Lifestyle Coordinator and Kitchen Assistant before joining Lauder Lodge. I was approached by a friend who had joined the Care UK family, and she spoke highly of Care UK and Lauder Lodge, so I was keen to apply for the position.

In this role, you need to be outgoing and chatty, as well as being able to focus on the individual needs and wishes of residents. My favorite part of the day is checking in with all the residents, asking how their day is going, spending quality time in activities and being there for them if they need a hug.

My proudest moments are when I can fulfill residents’ wishes. I took one resident fishing, which neither they nor I had done, and which was a great experience for both of us to chat and laugh about. Another time I rode in a small plane with a resident as part of their wish – I hadn’t been in a plane in about 20 years, and we both enjoyed creating these memories.

I feel proud of what I do whenever I can bring some happiness to the residents throughout the day. It’s the most important part of our role to work with the team to bring residents and their families joy and comfort in all activities, whether group, individual or just going for a coffee and a chat.

Outside of work, I enjoy arts and crafts, reading, baking, cooking and swimming. I also like to spend time catching up with my family and friends.

I’ve worked in the hotel, restaurant and leisure industry for most of my career and I’ve cooked for people like Princess Anne and David Attenborough. In 2017, I fancied a new challenge and wanted to go outside my comfort zone. Here at Lauder Lodge I have the chance to give residents a restaurant-style dining experience and to set a new standard in care home catering.

I enjoy meal times the most here as all the time and effort that you’ve put into preparing, creating and cooking the food comes to fruition when the dishes are served. Residents really enjoy what we do for them and they pass on their compliments, which makes it worth it.

I'm passionate about making care home catering the best it can be, so I was delighted to win Care UK's Chef of the Year competition in 2018. I love experimenting with new menus and dishes for residents to enjoy, and the competition was a chance to showcase my skills and creativity. 

Away from work, I unwind by playing football with my kids. We’re a football-loving family and kicking a ball about is a great way to de-stress.

I was studying Business Management at Stirling University for four years before I joined Care UK. The opportunity to take on the role of a Business Administrator was very intriguing for me as it aligned perfectly with my goal of using my skills and knowledge gained over the years in a business-oriented field. I was also curious about how care homes functioned, and with Care UK’s excellent reputation I thought it would be a great place to start my career and reach my long-term goal of being part of the management team.

A Business Administrator should be well organized, have good time management, be diligent and be friendly and a team player. My key roles are to make sure residents get what they need, new team members we hire are competent and passionate, and existing colleagues are compliant with policies and happy to work at Lauder Lodge.

I love getting to see the care home team and residents every day. It is always lovely to see how the residents are doing and have a chat with them. Bringing joy to residents by just having a chat or helping to solve a problem has been the biggest highlight of my career. The love and care I have received from residents is something I wouldn’t have imagined when going into a business career.

I joined Lauder Lodge after hearing good things from a few of my former colleagues who began working here. I was promoted to Head Housekeeper after working as a Care Assistant, as my manager knew I could take on a senior role.

In this role, you need to have a good eye for detail, a good work ethic and good communication skills and respect. The most important part of my role is making sure my team are happy in their jobs and always doing our best to keep a high standard of cleanliness.

I love having good chats with residents and laughs with my colleagues – it's the best part of my day. I feel proud when my team or I receive compliments from residents or their relatives on our work. It never fails to make my day better.

I worked in maintenance at another care home before joining Care UK. I had heard from colleagues that it was a great provider to work for, and I liked the values and the support system.

As Maintenance Manager you need to be attentive, observant, passionate, motivated and have a good work ethic.

The health and safety of everyone that comes into the home, and ensuring the standard and quality of the home doesn’t slip, are the most important parts of my role.

My favourite part of the day is interacting with the residents. Learning about what is important to them means I can then do things for them through my role as Maintenance Manager.

I’m proud to make a difference by making Lauder Lodge as homely as possible and making the residents feel as safe as I can, ensuring that the environment is right for them.

Outside of work, I enjoy flying pigeons, fly fishing, football and long rides on my motorbike.

My dad, Richard, is the Customer Relations Manager at the home, and I’m a CRM now too! I came in to work with him one day and didn’t want to leave, so we made the decision that I should work here on a permanent basis as part of the team.

Everyone treats me like a VIP when I walk around the home. This must be what it’s like being a royal. Except with more tummy rubs and dog treats. The only challenge is remembering everyone’s name – oh, and saying hello to all the residents before I need to have a nap. 

My job is to put smiles on faces and to share the love. In fact, I have so much love to give that I just have to share it with anyone I meet. Any stranger is usually a lifelong friend within seconds. What can I say? It’s a gift I have. See you soon!