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Our team at
Darlington Court

Trusted to care in Littlehampton, West Sussex

Trusted to care in Littlehampton, West Sussex|With 40 years’ experience,
Care UK are experts in delivering award winning care|Care UK is the most awarded care home provider for the last three years|Discover why Care UK is trusted to care by over 9,000 families

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Meet our friendly care team

It takes a lot of people to make a home like ours work smoothly, and to keep our lovely residents happy. It's nice to have an idea of who may be caring for your loved one when they move in, so you can find out more about them on these pages.

Nikki Burke

Home Manager

Nikki Burke

I qualified as a registered general nurse in 1988 and was a home manager at Care UK’s Beech Hurst care home for three years until January 2015.

I rejoined Care UK in January 2018 as home manager at Darlington Court: Care UK is always aiming to improve the lives of residents in its homes, and it supports its teams to be better and do better.

Being a home manager is a bit like being an orchestra conductor. You need to lead and support your team, trusting them to work together. There’s a lot happening at the same time, and when it works well, it’s amazing. I’m passionate about quality in care, so seeing success fuels me and drives me on further. 

Kerry McGlinchey
Unit Manager

I joined the Darlington Court team in 2008 at the age of 18.

The team supported me to complete my NVQ level 3, which led to me being promoted to Team Leader. Later I became Unit Manager on the residential unit. In the years that I’ve been here I have been encouraged to achieve things I never thought I’d do, and I’m incredibly grateful for that.

I think it’s important to be open to new ideas in this role and to think outside of the box. I enjoy getting to know each resident. I aim to see the person first and not their condition. I also enjoy getting the best out of my team. 

Meal times are my favourite time of the day when I can chat to the residents and learn more about them. I also enjoy the musical activities. One of the highlights of my time here has been becoming the home’s Dementia Champion and influencing how the team works for the better. We’re a supportive home and team and we look out for each other.

Helene Bull
Lifestyle Lead

I love the fact that every day is different in this role.

Although I’m an experienced activity co-ordinator and events planner – I used to work for a charity – I still enjoy the challenges my role brings, including needing to have a ‘plan b’ and to think on your feet if residents fancy doing something different to what’s planned.

I really enjoy spending one-to-one time with residents. They love reminiscing and that’s when you can really get to know them and the things they’ve done in their lives. We have some big projects to arrange and it’s rewarding to see these through and to look back and think “I did that”.

Gordana Milosavljevikj
Activities Coordinator

I began work as activities coordinator at Darlington Court in 2012 having always wanted to work for a large company.

I believe that to be a successful activities coordinator you need to be a positive, honest and happy person and be able to put yourself in the shoes of the residents.

Working with a great team and all the wonderful residents at Darlington Court is my favourite part of the job.

In my spare time I enjoy socialising and spending time with my family. 

Christopher Smith
Head Chef

I joined Care UK in 2021 as I knew it was a great place to progress as a head chef and lead a team.

In my last role, I was a Sous Chef in a private school and for an office rosette restaurant. I also ran my own successful cake-baking business which was a fun challenge for me.

In the kitchen I like to say the most important thing to work by are the three p’s – preparation, presentation, and perseverance. It’s important to make sure everyone works together as part of a team and provides the best food for everyone in the home. 

Alan Hamlet
Maintenance

I’m an experienced Maintenance Manager and have worked in other care homes and for other care providers.

I’m of the opinion that I’ve worked for the rest and now I’m at the best. There’s no other care home like Darlington Court.

It’s important to be flexible, organised, proactive and attention-focused in this job. It’s also key to have a sense of humour and to be a team player. I believe that we are all here to do a job but, ultimately, we are making sure residents are happy in their home. 

The best thing about each day is knowing that I have completed all the tasks that I have set myself as well as supporting residents and colleagues, making their life a little easier. I do enjoy making a difference to residents and bringing a smile to their faces. 

In my free time I enjoy watching football, cycling, relaxing with the family and trying to get into shape.

Our experienced teams

Every day Care UK colleagues live our values of passionate, caring and teamwork to empower residents to enjoy fulfilling lives.

Carers

Our hardworking teams always keep individuals and their families at the heart of the care they provide. We work with you to shape the care your loved one receives, the food they’re served, the activities and experiences they want to do – even the ways they prefer to keep in touch with their friends and family. 

Nurses

The nurses at Care UK are highly skilled and receive sector-leading training, which enables them to keep developing expertise in different clinical fields from dementia to palliative care.

Lifestyle

Our dedicated lifestyle teams work hard to organise a range of activities and events at our home. From gardening and baking to quizzes, music sessions and even live entertainment. Above all, we get to know your loved one to make sure our activities are tailored to suit their interests and hobbies.

Home support roles

From catering to maintenance, housekeeping to administration, our home support teams play a crucial part in ensuring individuals enjoy an exceptional and safe service every day.

All our teams get to know each person they care for to ensure they provide a service that’s designed around their unique needs and tastes. 

Infection control

Each of our homes have a trained Infection Control and Prevention Champion – they are responsible for carrying out daily infection control audit and ensuring cleaning protocols are meticulously applied.