Our team at Woodland Hall

I originally studied Accountancy, but soon switched to Nursing as it allowed me to work more closely with others.

I began my nursing career in Romania, working in a hospital in the surgery wards and also in the dermatology ward. I then moved to the UK and began working as a Health Care Assistant.

In 2017 I began working with Care UK, since which time I have been able to work my way up from being Health Care Assistant, Senior Nurse, and now Deputy Manager. A promotion which is one of my biggest career highlights to date.

To be a good deputy, you need to be ready to listen, and ready to offer support. One of my favourite parts of each day is the clinical meeting, where staff can communicate and get the information we need.

I love working at Woodland Hall, and look forward to each day. It truly feels like I belong here, and that this is my home.

I joined the team at Woodland Hall as a Clinical Lead in May 2022, and immediately felt welcomed by everyone.

Having qualified in General Nursing in 1997, I then pursued further education with the completion of a Bachelor Degree in Business Management in 2022.

I have always been a caring person and I wanted to use this in my work life. I have previously worked in the A&E, Cardiology Unit, Dependency Unit and also the Surgical Wound Unit.

As a Clinical Lead I aspire to ensure that our residents are provided with the very best of care, dignity, respect and support to enable them to live a healthy and happy life.

I am very proud to be part of such a dedicated team ,who continue to strive and to deliver a first-class service at such a beautiful home.

I have a degree in Nursing from the Far Eastern University in Manila, Philippines, and I previously worked as a lecturer in the faculty of Nursing in one of the top universities in Thailand before moving to the UK.

I became an Overseas Nurse Practitioner in September 2020 and successfully obtained my PIN as a Registered General Nurse in February 2021. I joined Care UK that year because I was looking for a workplace that would respect my identity and give me an opportunity to demonstrate my skills and talents. I've been able to grow professionally and personally in this role, including being promoted from nurse to Unit Manager Clinical in September 2022.

Finding solutions to support residents to live fulfilled lives and helping my colleagues provide person-centred care are my favourite parts of my job. My colleagues are the best. They respect me and they support me in my role. We work and learn together to improve our service, and we support one another to attain our goals.

Outside of work, I love going on holidays, watching films, seeing musicals and going fishing.

I began working at Care UK in 2022. I have a passion for caring for older people, and Care UK provides diversity and potential for growth as a nurse.

I received my degree in Nursing and Midwifery from the National University of Lesotho, and I worked as a Unit Manager for six years in my country before becoming a Registered Nurse for the NHS. In my role, it’s important to lead by example, be a great listener, uphold professional standards, have patience and above all value other people’s opinions.

I love to interact with residents every day. They like to tell me about their day and what makes them happy, and this helps me to understand their individual needs. I value the kindness of my colleagues at Woodland Hall. 

When I’m not working, I enjoy watching sports, travelling and photography.

I joined Care UK in early 2023, and I am incredibly proud to have been promoted to Unit Manager Clinical in less than a year. This was my first position in the UK after moving from Ghana, and it was fantastic to be able to join a company where I could learn and grow.
 
I’m passionate about providing safety and quality care to the elderly. This is what made me decide to be part of the team at Care UK, especially as they allow me to pursue career development.
 
One of my proudest achievements so far is having received an honour for distinguished service from the President of the Republic of Ghana in recognition of my leadership, passion, commitment, and hard work in saving during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
To be successful in a clinical role, it is key to be both diligent and hardworking. I’m looking forward to continuing to develop my career to the highest level.
 
Each day, I love listening to the concerns of my residents; through doing this, I can make sure their needs are addressed holistically.

My background is in business and management, but in the last 8 years I have been working in a residential and nursing home as Senior Health Care Assistant. When I joined Care UK, I started out as a Team Leader, before progressing to be a Unit Care Manager, and I really enjoy the new role and progress.

I’m very proud to work for Care UK – it’s one of the leading providers of older people’s care in this country, and it has great systems and clear values. It also supports its colleagues to do their best work and to progress.

One of my favourite parts of my role is meeting with residents and their families and understanding their needs. I love seeing people happy, and every day is a new day.

Supporting them to live the life they want makes them feel at home. I’m personally passionate about ensuring every person we care for is happy, safe, understood, and able to continue enjoying their relationships with their loved ones. I really like when they progress, and I like to offer a lot of encouragement.

In my spare time I like to cook and spend time with my family. I'm originally from Romania, and, when I can, I like to travel and experience new places, people, and cultures.

I joined Care UK in 2020 to continue my passion as a Business Administrator and broaden my experience. I previously worked within the hotel industry and for a chain of dental practices as an Office Manager for ten years.

My role at Woodland Hall varies from organising reception and the admin office to assisting the team and resident’s families. I love interacting with the residents and seeing their faces light up whenever I say hello. Being a Business Administrator does require skills from finance to human resources and multitasking. It is a breath of fresh air to be surrounded by such a helpful and friendly team.

When I am not travelling into work I am travelling all over the world. I love cruise ships for exploring different countries and I enjoy learning about their social history. 

I’ve always been interested in work that involves helping others and making a positive impact. That’s why I decided to join Care UK in June 2022. Before this, I worked as an HR Assistant in a care agency for five years.

In this role, you need to have good time management skills, as you will be dealing with people both on the phone and face-to-face. My favourite thing about my job is having the opportunity to work alongside my colleagues. They are always super motivated and inspire me daily.

I’ve enjoyed learning new skills throughout my career, and I look forward to continuing to face challenges, solve problems and meet new people.

My interests outside of work include going to the gym and spending time with my family.

Before I joined the team at Woodland Hall in 2020, I was working in special educational needs with young people and adult’s outreach. I have 22 different care certificates, and 98 care assessments, including complex care, autism, and dyslexia.

Being a lifestyle coordinator requires a good understanding of everyone’s needs, having patience, and putting others first. Working in a great team helps everything run smoothly in all departments and keeps the people we provide care for happy.

I love sitting down with residents and listening to their words of wisdom and their many exciting life experiences and stories. When I walk into the home each morning I am greeted with smiles and when I go home I am thanked at the end of the day.

I joined Care UK in 2023 after several years working as an Activities Coordinator at other care homes. I enjoy helping other people, and joined the care industry to use my skills to hopefully maintain resident wellbeing and help them continue to live fulfilling lives.

Each day I enjoy spending time with residents, helping to bring a smile to their faces. Whilst ensuring they feel safe and comfortable offering activities to fill their days and enhance their lives whilst at Woodland Hall.

Outside of work I like to keep active and enjoy walking, football, netball, Zumba, walking with my dog, family and friends get togethers, travelling and horse riding.

I look forward to continuing my work at Woodland Hall, continuing to enhance the lives of the residents.

I joined Care UK after finishing my studies, having enjoyed a successful work experience placement with them as part of my diploma in Health and Social Care.

Working in the lifestyle team requires enthusiasm and creativity to plan and create an engaging program of activities for all residents at the home.

I enjoy that each day there is a repeated order of the tasks that we have to do, because this makes it easier to plan and carry out tasks swiftly and efficiently with competency.

Entertaining the residents with fun activities is the most rewarding and enjoyable part of my day. During these activities, I can see the positive impact the team are having, as the residents are engaged, enjoying the activities and maintaining their full filling lifestyle.

I joined Care UK in 2024 whilst studying Health and Social Care at Uxbridge College before continuing my studies in University to get a degree in Adult Nursing.

I was completing a few weeks of work experience in lifestyle development at Woodland Hall to gain more knowledge about working with the elderly, and I enjoyed it so much that I asked if there were any opportunities to be employed at Woodland Hall.

I was delighted to be able to join the team on a permanent basis, as I wanted to support elderly people with their needs, and to be able to support the care of older people in a warm, friendly environment.

I enjoy providing necessary care; each day you support and improve someone's physical and emotional well-being, which is truly rewarding and special.

I enjoy engaging with the residents and seeing them smile. It has meant so much to me. After a few weeks at Woodland Hall, I knew I wanted to continue to peruse a career as an adult nurse.

I understand the challenges that this role presents, but my passion for quality patient care drives me to keep moving forward.

After several years as a Housekeeper in a different environment, I decided to move to Woodland Hall to enjoy more connection with people and develop new skills.

I love working in a job where I am appreciated and receiving positive feedback from colleagues and management. I believe that good communication is key to the role, and I am looking forward to communicating with my employer and the residents.

Outside of work, I enjoy travelling, photography, cooking and gardening.

Before joining Care UK in 2020 I ran my own business and worked in the hospitality sector. At Woodland Hall, I get to meet new people and make a difference. I love helping to provide a safe, happy and comfortable environment for the people we care for.

My role requires a passion for helping others, problem solving for the safe running of the home, and a positive and approachable manner.

Outside work I enjoy spending time with my family. I am very into keeping fit by going for long walks and exercising at the gym. 

I joined Care UK because I wanted to bring my maintenance skills to a new organisation where I can make a difference. I thrive on helping others and working at Woodland Hall allows me to do so. I really enjoy meeting new people and building good working relationships with all my colleagues.

In my spare time, I enjoy reading, especially historical novels. I am also passionate about taking on DIY projects, collecting tools, and gardening which was my career when I lived in Italy. 

My name is Anne Valentine and I was married to my husband Lawrence for 70 years. He came to Woodland Hall to be cared for. I would visit him daily until Covid intervened and found the care and understanding he received at Woodland Hall to be all that we as a family could wish for.

In 2021, I decided to move in to Woodland Hall myself. It took great courage to make such an important decision, but I have never regretted it. The staff are caring, good humans and do the very most to keep us happy, occupied and, above all, safe.

I would end by saying that leaving the life you have lived previously and making the enormous change to living in a residential home, can seem challenging to say the least. However, finding the right home with the right staff can be a new beginning.