Our team at
Asterbury Place

Hi, I’m Dan Topple, the Deputy Manager at Asterbury Place.

I hold a BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care and have completed the Future Deputy Manager programme. Before stepping into my current role, I worked as a Team Leader.

I’ve been with Care UK for over ten years, originally joining because I admired the organisation’s values—they’re values I also see in myself. I transferred to Asterbury Place from Prince George House, and I’ve always appreciated Care UK’s reputation as a well-known care provider with excellent progression opportunities.

In my role, I believe it’s important to have strong teamwork skills, good communication, a caring nature, and the ability to show empathy. My favourite part of the day is going around the home and witnessing the care and interactions happening between staff and residents. I also enjoy spending a little time engaging with residents and their families.

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my large family. One of my biggest career highlights so far has been successfully completing the Future Deputy Manager programme. I’m proud to be able to make a positive difference to people’s lives and to contribute to the success of the home. For me, the most important part of my role is ensuring that residents live a fulfilling life and receive high-quality, person-centered care and that the home remains safe and compliant.

I have worked as a Head Chef in care home catering since 2009, and at Asterbury Place since 2014 after Care UK took over the Suffolk County Council care home where I worked previously. I was happy to accept the position of Head Chef and haven’t looked back since. The highlight of my career was reaching the Chef of the Year final for Care UK in 2023.

Working in this role, you need to be hard-working and have a can-do attitude. You also need to have a passion for food and cooking, and good communication and organisation skills are essential.

My favourite part of the day is talking to residents about their food. I always listen to residents and taken on board their feedback and suggestions. I love to experiment with cooking new dishes too.

My job is to produce a high standard of food every day for the residents and to cater to all dietary needs and contribute to residents’ wellbeing. When I hear residents are very satisfied and I receive compliments about the food, it makes all the hard work worth it.

Outside of work, I enjoy all sports, especially following Ipswich Town and ten pin bowling.

I joined the team at Asterbury Place as a care assistant in 2015 but I soon worked my way up to business administrator after some time working as the home’s receptionist and activity coordinator. After working as a domiciliary care assistant in the community, Care UK felt like the right fit for me. Being in a care home environment meant I could spend more time with the residents and offer more care than I ever could in my previous role.

Since my first interview I felt welcome at Asterbury Place. I enjoy working here; the home is lovely and very well run. The team are brilliant and management work hard to ensure the residents are happy and engaged.

I joined Asterbury Place because I wanted to do work that would feel rewarding. I’ve worked in several roles in the home, first starting as a Domestic Assistant and then transferring to Care Assistant before becoming Lifestyle Co-Ordinator. Being promoted to Lifestyle Lead was the best moment of my career so far.

In this role, I believe it’s important to have a bubbly, friendly personality, as well as being caring, passionate and patient. You also need to be able to work well in a team.

My favourite part of my day is interacting with residents during activities because I feel I am making a difference to their lives. Seeing the smiles on their faces is priceless. Ensuring the residents are engaged in meaningful activities is the most important part of my role, and when I know they’re happy, I feel proud of what I do.

When I’m not working, I enjoy socialising with friends and family and playing Xbox.

Hi, my name is Nathaniel and I am the Clinical Lead at Asterbury Place. I hold a Bachelor Hons Degree in Nursing Sciences and previously worked as a Registered Nurse and Lead Nurse. I decided to work at Care UK to be part of a company that delivers outstanding care for the elderly.

I believe a person in my role needs to be compassionate, caring, patient, and have good clinical skills, knowledge, and understanding. My favourite part of my working day is the daily walk around and clinical review meeting, as it gives me a chance to teach the team on what’s expected.

Outside of work, my interests include music, composing, and running. My biggest career highlight to date is my wide experience in nursing, having worked as a charge nurse in all departments of psychiatry and in a nursing home. What makes me proud in my role is the ability to create good working relationships with customers and relatives. The most important part of my role is supervising and leading nurses and team leaders.