Our team at
Mercia Grange

Before joining Care UK, I worked as a Senior Care Assistant. I’ve achieved my Level 3 qualification and am looking at completing my Level 5 next. I’m also completing Future Deputy Manager training. Stepping up to a Deputy Manager role definitely took me out of my comfort zone.

You need to be approachable, kind, caring, hardworking and determined to do this job well. Living at Mercia Grange through Covid-19 at all hours of the day and night was challenging, but it was very rewarding supporting the team and residents.

Seeing Mercia Grange grow and supporting a stable team that'sis more like a family makes Mercia feel even more like a second home.

When I’m not working, I enjoy spending time with family and friends. I enjoy holidays, sun and spa days.

I’d worked for another care home providers, but I heard good things about Care UK from a colleague.

I think CRMs like me have a very important part to play in a home as we’re helping families in their hour of need, reassuring them that we can care for their loved one in the way they’d want. During my time working in older people’s care, I’ve developed a passion for dementia care. In fact, I’m one of the Dementia Champions at Mercia Grange. I enjoy sparking that passion for dementia care in other people.

I love this job, every day is so varied and rewarding. I enjoy meeting new families and welcoming new residents, and I love spending time with our existing residents, having a chat and a giggle with them.

One of the best parts of working in a care home is being able to help fulfil residents’ wishes. I’ve organised for a horse to visit a resident in their room, and for residents who were keen football fans to have a corporate hospitality box at Aston Villa for the day so they could watch a match and meet ex-Villa players.

Creativity is important as you need to think ‘outside the box’ to engage the residents. You need to be flexible and to think on your feet.

I love making a difference to older people’s lives, it makes my day to see residents smiling and enjoying themselves. There’s no better feeling than when an activity has gone really well and everyone’s buzzing afterwards. 

I would say that learning about dementia has been one of the biggest challenges for me in my role (and learning to drive the minibus!). But, having said that, I’m very proud that I found a barber who visited the home to pamper our gentlemen. He became a Dementia Friend and now visits other Care UK homes to pamper their gents. Something that I helped to start has had a hugely positive impact on many people’s lives. 

 I started Care UK in 2019 at Catherine Court until October 2021 and started Mercia Grange October 2021.

To be a good Nurse, it’s important to show empathy to each resident. You also need to be hardworking, knowledgeable, optimistic, compassionate, even-tempered and flexible. I love that every day here is different. I have an amazing team, and I enjoy taking care of each and every resident.

The best part of working for Mercia Grange is the bond we form with residents and their families. I enjoy spending time with my family when I’m not working, and I listen to Reggae music and meet up with friends to unwind.

I wanted to join Care UK because it is a hugely reputable care provider.

The mornings are always my favourite time of the day because there are lots of happy faces coming through the door, and I look forward to what the day has in store. I get a lot of satisfaction from ensuring that the office is running smoothly. Time management skills are crucial in this busy role, as are good people skills, and having some computer know-how: we use lots of different computer and information systems.

I enjoy conquering new challenges, and I thrive on the fact that every day is different. I’m also proud to be the Colleague Voices Representative for Mercia Grange. I go along to the regular meetings to ensure that the voices of colleagues working in this home are heard within Care UK.

In my free time I like to go walking and travelling and discovering new cultures and places. I enjoy reading too, and spending time with friends and family.

I’ve set up a large four-star hotel and have worked as a general manager in a big hotel too. When I fancied a change recently, I was really attracted by the ethos of Care UK. The organisation believes in providing hotel-style levels of quality and comfort to residents. That really appealed to me, and I felt my skills would be a good fit.

Mercia Grange is a beautiful new home - and it’s a pleasure to work here. One of the best parts of the day is when I bring residents’ laundered items back to their rooms. I love seeing all the residents and having a chat. I haven’t been at Mercia Grange long, so I’m still getting to know everyone, and their fascinating life stories. 

Outside of work, I’m a big animal lover: I have a dog, a rabbit and a cockatoo. When I’m not caring for them, I like to unwind with a glass of something and my favourite American boxset!

I heard a lot of good things about Mercia Grange – it has an amazing reputation – and I knew I’d have different and interesting challenges to tackle here working as part of a bigger organisation.

The end of the day is my favourite part of the day because I know all my jobs are completed and I’ve helped to keep Mercia Grange running smoothly. I enjoy working on my own initiative and supporting the residents by ensuring everything’s working well and is safe for them. There are some incredible people who call Mercia Grange ‘home’ and I’m enjoying getting to know them and learning about their lives. 

In my spare time I enjoy riding motorbikes, reading, watching films and playing board games and video games.