Our team at
Tennyson Grange

I've worked in the nursing profession for the last 27 years. Prior to working at Tennyson Grange, I worked for five years in a tertiary orthopedic hospital and spent 19 years in the brain and neurological field. I’ve been a Ward Manager, a Specialist Nurse Manager and a Registered Manager in a rehabilitation facility.

I think a range of expertise is crucial to being effective in my role, and you also need to be resilient, self-motivated, have a drive for excellence and be determined to advocate for the people in your care.

There's so much that brings me satisfaction in my role, from meeting with the team and providing clinical coaching, to resolving families' worries. On a lighter note, in a previous role I used to initiate singalongs and dancing when I worked the night shift. Watch this space - I'm looking for opportunities to join in with activities at Tennyson Grange when I can!

What am I looking forward to most in this role? To working with the team to deliver a high quality service and superb quality of life for residents, so they enjoy their time with us.

I’ve spent most of my career in hospitality and customer service. Before joining the team at Care UK I worked for an optician, organising eye tests across London for older people living in care homes or attending day centres.

I joined the Tennyson Grange team because Care UK has a great reputation in the care sector and this was an excellent opportunity for me to grow my skills and work with people who have the same aim as me – to fulfil the lives of older people.

I enjoy the many different aspects of my role, from helping relatives when they first get in touch, to building strong relationships with people once they have moved in. In this job it’s important to be passionate about what you do and to work as a team. It’s vital, too, to be sympathetic to relatives and the pressures they’re under when they first speak to us.

In my free time I like to get outside cycling and going on long walks with my family and our dog, Daphne

I decided I wanted to work in care when my nan became very ill. I cared for her until she passed away. That created the realisation in me that good care was so important, and something I was passionate about. I was determined to move my career into the care sector.

I started at Tennyson Grange as Receptionist and progressed into the Home Administrator role in just eight months. That’s what I love about working for Care UK – there are superb opportunities to progress if you work hard, do a good job and you’re passionate about care.

Every day is different in this role, so you need to be happy to think on your feet when you do this job! You also need to be caring, understanding and well organised. I particularly love the involvement I have with residents and their families. It’s hugely rewarding to be using my skills to make other people’s lives better.

I had never encountered the care world and certainly did not know anything about the activities part of a care environment. But having almost accidentally spoken to the Home Manager in my first role at another Care UK home, I knew it was for me. Once I found my feet, I immediately felt that when entering a care home many people feel that a door has closed on their life and identity.

My aim became to create a new door: an environment where residents can experience fresh opportunities which enable them to engage in hitherto uncharted territories and opportunities, they imagined were closed to them.

It's such an interesting role, you constantly have to be flexible and think on your feet. But it can often be the little wins that are sometimes the most important. When a resident who is not having a good day suddenly beams at you it melts your heart.

I feel it’s so important when a person is living in a care home that they have plenty of choice of activities and experiences to keep them entertained and able to maintain their independence. I like the creativity and variety involved in organising activities that enable residents to keep their minds and bodies fit and active.

Every day’s different in this role, some days I’m a quiz master, other days an exercise instructor or games host, referee or karaoke singer. There are many other roles in between!

We’re lucky to care for people from different backgrounds, who have very different experiences, interests and personalities. Organising activities, entertainment and outings that they’ll enjoy certainly keeps me busy.

It’s a huge privilege to be in a position to get to know older people and their stories, and to make them happy. Seeing the positive difference that a particular activity can make to people is very humbling and motivating.

I’ve worked in restaurants all my career, including training in a two Michelin-starred kitchen. When I saw this role come up, I leapt at the chance to explore a completely different sector.

I love that every day is different, and really enjoy speaking to the residents and hearing their life stories. I have always been in roles as a Head Chef where feedback was written, whereas here I can speak to anyone and find out what they loved about the food, things they’d like to change or see on the menu next time.

With the residents’ help at Tennyson Grange I can create a menu that’s more personal for them – after all, good company and good food are so important to everyone.

I absolutely love working for Care UK because I like looking after people - if I can gain a smile from someone who might not be having such a great day, it gives me a sense of achievement to know that I might have just made that person’s day a bit better.

The transition from living an independent life in your own home to living in a care home can be a very daunting and emotionally challenging time for someone. To be part of a team that gets to play a role in making that journey for someone as smooth as possible is truly a rewarding experience.

My favourite part of the day is seeing how happy the residents are when their families visit, sitting in the bistro, and having a laugh.