Our team at
Chocolate Works

I first joined Chocolate Works as a Care Assistant, progressing to Senior Care Assistant. After that I spent some time working as a Care and Training Practitioner elsewhere in York. I gained valuable new skills there and soon returned to Chocolate Works as Deputy Manager. This home is like no other, residents feel like family and my colleagues are incredibly supportive.

Care UK’s focus on compassionate, person-centred, dignified care perfectly aligns with my values. My favourite part of the day is greeting residents each morning and seeing their smiles. A simple hello can make such a big difference. I’m proud of the relationships I’ve built with residents and families, built on trust, care and respect.

Becoming Deputy Manager here at Chocolate Works has been a career goal for me and I’m proud to have achieved it. The most important part of my role is ensuring every resident is happy, safe and well cared for, with care tailored to their unique needs.

Outside of work, I love travelling. I recently visited Peru (I even met Paddington Bear!). When I returned, the residents loved hearing my stories and seeing photos. Last year, I completed a 10,000 ft skydive, raising £2,400 for the Alzheimer’s Society.

I was drawn to my role at Care UK because of its deep commitment to putting residents and their families at the heart of everything it does. The focus on high-quality, person-centred care aligns with my values, and I’m proud to be part of a team that makes a real difference every day.

Care UK’s reputation for innovation and continuous improvement in the care sector played a big part in my decision to join. My role requires emotional intelligence, versatility, and the ability to support families through significant personal choices — balancing compassion with professionalism is key.

In my previous role, I led sales strategy, built relationships with stakeholders and drove business growth. I have experience in team leadership, strategic planning and delivering high-quality service. I am also trained in safeguarding, quality management systems, incident management and data analytics.

I’m passionate about supporting families during the admissions process, providing reassurance and guidance during an important milestone in their lives. My proudest achievements in my career are the lasting relationships I’ve built, with success defined by trust, integrity and positive impact.

Outside of work, I enjoy working on home improvement projects and spending time with my large family. We love spending quality time together, whether it's exploring new places on family outings or simply enjoying time at home.

I first joined Chocolate Works care home in 2020 as a kitchen assistant. I’ve continued my journey here, progressing to cook and now to kitchen lead, a career highlight that I’m really proud of.

I’ve completed Food Hygiene Level 2 training and bring a commitment to providing healthy, nutritious and appealing meals to all residents every day. Compassion, attention to detail, good communication skills, adaptability and a willingness to learn are all essential in my role.

My favourite part of the day is seeing a good atmosphere in the dining room during mealtimes. It’s rewarding to know that residents are enjoying their food and the company around them.

Outside of work, I enjoy relaxing by playing snooker and darts at The Castle Snooker Club in York.

I chose to work at Chocolate Works because of the amazing team and wonderful residents. The compassion that flows through the home is inspiring, and I feel lucky to be part of it.

I’ve completed ACAS training, mental health awareness training, and well lead training. Before starting my present role, I worked here in The Chocolate Works care home as an admin assistant. I think it’s important in my job to be compassionate and hard working.

The part of my day I love most is seeing residents enjoy the activities organised by the lifestyle team — especially the Christmas parties! One of my proudest moments was creating a memory tree for one of the floors, where staff can hang wooden ornaments in memory of past residents.

I’m always here if staff need someone to talk to, and I’m proud to contribute to the wellbeing of residents and colleagues.

Outside of work, I enjoy reading, cooking and spending time with family and friends.

I really enjoy my role at Chocolate Works and take pride in being part of a care home that is warm, welcoming and completely focused on the happiness of residents.

With over 30 years of frontline customer care and supervisory experience, I bring strong problem-solving skills and good attention to detail. I have had lots of great in-house training, and I am proud of my ability to remain calm and professional in all situations. My background includes working as a human resources advisor at York St John University, and earlier in my career, I created and ran a very busy recruitment agency.

The most rewarding part of my day is supporting residents and meeting and greeting their visitors, families and friends. I love being able to offer a happy, friendly welcome and provide help and reassurance where it’s needed. I’m also proud to manage a fantastic, conscientious reception team.

Outside of work, I enjoy rambling, caravanning and discovering new places. I also love socialising and spending time with family and friends.

I began my career at Chocolate Works as a Housekeeping Assistant before stepping up to the role of Housekeeping Lead. I joined Care UK for a new challenge and the opportunity to grow, and I’ve enjoyed every step of the journey so far.

To do this role well, I believe you need to be passionate and caring, with strong leadership skills and the drive to succeed. For me, the most important part of my role is maintaining high standards throughout the home and making sure everyone here feels happy and comfortable. I’m proud when I see my team thrive and when our residents are making happy memories in a clean and welcoming environment.

My biggest career highlight to date is simple – making a difference to residents’ lives every day. I love spending time with the people who live here and working closely with my colleagues as part of a supportive team.

Outside of work, I enjoy going to music concerts and spending lots of time with my dog.

I started at Chocolate Works as a housekeeping assistant before moving into my current role as Maintenance Lead. With over 30 years of experience in this field, I was thrilled to take on the position — it's what I love to do and starting this role has been a real career highlight.

I’ve completed training in areas including dementia, autism, first aid, fire safety, moving and handling, and working at heights. Safety is always my top priority, and I take great pride in helping to keep the care home secure and running smoothly for everyone.

My role requires patience, compassion and a good eye for detail. I also need to be very thorough. Care UK is a great company with an excellent reputation and there are many benefits of being part of the organisation.

What I enjoy most in my work is seeing how grateful residents are when you help with something that may seem small but means the world to them. It’s incredibly rewarding.

Outside of work, I’m a big fan of cars and Star Wars — my wife says I’m just a big kid!