Our team at
Ridley Manor

I completed my nurse training at Buckinghamshire Chiltern University College in 2006 and did postgraduate training at Brighton University.

I began working for Care UK as Deputy Manager in 2023. I had worked as a carer for Care UK from 2000 to 2004, and I found it to be an enjoyable experience where I learned so much. It was what persuaded me to follow a nursing career.

In order to fulfil my role, it’s important to be a keen listener and to be approachable, empathetic and responsive to enquiries. You must be able to receive critiques and complete action plans too, and continuously update your skills and knowledge.

My favourite part of the day is my walkround. It’s a great opportunity to interact with colleagues and residents, and to have a quick overview of the home and the environment. I look forward to continuing to get to know the residents and assisting with risk assessments and care planning, so that care is delivered to an excellent standard.

I love writing poems and songs outside of work, and I enjoy singing and dancing too. I also like to spend time walking in the park and driving around the country.

I’ve worked at Ridley Manor for six years. I love the fact that this role is so varied and that I can support families through what can be an extremely difficult decision.

Before joining the care industry, I was a hotel manager for 17 years, and before that I managed public houses.

In this role, it’s important to have a very good understanding of what families are feeling and what they need. You need to be empathetic with their situation and provide support and advice to ensure they receive the care that’s in their best interests.

The atmosphere in the care home is fantastic. From the moment you walk through the front door, it really feels like home. I enjoy meeting new people, supporting them through what can be an extremely difficult time and then welcoming them into the Ridley Manor family.

My favourite part of the day is my walk around in the morning. I love spending time with the residents and having a laugh with them. Everything we do is about making their time with us as special as it can be for as long as is possible.

My role is all about delivering the best care to residents and ensuring that the team are working to the best of their ability and always striving for success.

I’ve been a Registered Nurse for 34 years, and I joined Care UK in 2019 because I wanted to widen my experience and knowledge within a nursing home setting. I’ve worked in nursing homes for eight years, and before this I was a Clinical Lead for infectious diseases for 25 years.

I believe it’s important to continue gaining clinical knowledge and experience to ensure that I am always learning and following best practice. This can be challenging, but I love being able to provide the best possible care for residents. My favourite part of the day is making them smile and supporting in improving their quality of life.

As a manager, it’s important to be reliable, dedicated, kind and compassionate. Being promoted into this role has been the biggest highlight of my career, and I have a great team around me.

I love to cook, spend time with my family and travel outside of work.

I joined Care UK in 2023 after taking a break from the care industry. I had spent 10 years in domiciliary care as a care worker and a senior care coordinator, and I also have over 20 years of experience in administration.

After working as a project manager in the aerospace sector, I realised how much I missed the care industry. The idea that I could combine my love for people, care and administration all in a day’s work at Ridley Manor sounded ideal.

In this role, you need to be organised, caring and passionate about what you do. You also need to be a people person and a team player.

My favourite part of the day is meeting and greeting residents, their families and team members, and ensuring that every interaction is a positive one. I’m excited to continue getting to know the residents, families and team members and providing support to all.

When I’m not working, I enjoy unwinding by walking with my dog, spending time with my family and watching movies.

I worked in hospitality and event management before joining the care sector, where I have worked for eight years with people living with dementia. I joined Care UK in 2022 as there was a wonderful opportunity in the position of Lifestyle Lead. It brings me joy to have fun with the residents and help to rekindle their passions.

In this role, it’s important to lead from the front, have an imaginative nature and an enthusiastic personality and to be proactive and reactive in all situations. You also need to be able to adapt a variety of activities to suit individuals. Making residents laugh and seeing them enjoy themselves is the best part of my role. I love to help make their wishes come true through our wishing tree initiative too.

It was a career highlight to have the rock choir sing on our memory floor. Seeing the residents become so immersed in the music that even those with limited mobility were dancing away and some with communication limitations were singing beautifully made me so proud.

I love the variety of this role. I look forward to continuing to work with my team and building relationships with each individual resident to tailor activities to their interests so they enjoy taking part.

Family is very important to me, and outside of work I like to spend as much time as I can with my family.

I joined Ridley Manor in 2023 after seeing the home and being very impressed. I had worked my way up from Kitchen Assistant to Sous Chef and then Head Chef in other care homes previously, but this one stood out from the rest.

In this role, it’s important to have good leadership skills, knowledge of a wide variety of menu options, enthusiasm and patience. It’s also important to be innovative, willing to learn new things and able to support and train the team around me.

Watching residents enjoy the meals we produce and seeing their reactions is my favourite part of the day. It’s important to me to ensure they have a wonderful dining experience at every mealtime.

It can be challenging coming into a role that requires a lot of care and attention to ensure that all the policies and procedures are being followed, as well as getting the team on board with the same vision and values. However, I’ve enjoyed getting stuck into my role to support the team and be the best that we can be, delivering high-quality food to residents.

Outside of work, I enjoy reading fantasy and detective books as well as Japanese manga, swimming, cooking, playing football and spending time with animals.

I’ve worked in care homes for seven years, including as a Care Team Leader at Ridley Manor from 2019 to 2022. I love the friendly atmosphere here, so I rejoined as Head Housekeeper in 2023.

In this role, it’s important to have good attention to detail, communication skills and high standards in all aspects of cleanliness. You also need to lead by example and to be a hands-on person. It can be challenging to work with a variety of skillsets to ensure that everything runs smoothly and standards are kept high, but I love the variety of this role, from engaging with the residents and family members to taking pride in the appearance of the home.

I look forward to continuing to improve the cleanliness and organisation of the housekeeping team to provide a sparkling home for the residents.

Outside of work, I enjoy making candles and spending quality time with my family and dog.

I joined Care UK in 2022, after retiring from my role as a Detective Sergeant in London. I worked as a Care Assistant before becoming Maintenance Manager, and I’ve loved every minute.

I’ve always had a passion for helping people, so going into care seemed like the perfect role change.

This is an amazing role. You need to be a good problem solver and approachable with a can-do attitude. You also need to have good time management skills and be friendly and willing to help anyone.

Getting to know residents and their families is the highlight of my role. There are always plenty of things to do and people to help whilst carrying out my daily role. I enjoy every day and the challenges it brings.

I read a lot outside of work, as I find it very relaxing and peaceful.

My name is Gillian, and I am 81 years old. I have always lived in or near High Wycombe – most recently I lived for many years in Great Kingshill with my husband and our children. I have been a resident at Ridley Manor since March 2022. 

I knew about Ridley Manor as a close friend’s mother had been one of the very first residents when it originally opened, and I had heard good reports of her care. After visiting a friend and a close relative, I thought this place offers a pleasant environment in which to recuperate.

My improvement in mobility is still a work in progress, and to me the good, kind care I receive here, plus the general ‘safety net’ feeling, is very important. Apart from the day-to-day care, Ridley Manor also strives to provide a variety of activities and entertainment to suit our various tastes. There is also so much laughter here!

I was approached to become an ambassador for the home and am happy if I can be of assistance to any resident. I realise that many will have family members or appointed representatives to assist them, but sometimes there might be an opportunity for me to help allay anxiety, or alternatively consult with an appropriate member of staff or a carer, on their behalf and find a solution.

I have lived at Ridley Manor for eighteen months. I retired in 1997 from a city career as a solicitor, advising on contracts for film, television and publishing financing, productions and personalities.

My younger daughter and my grandson live in Lane End, but this was just one factor in our choosing such an excellent care home. I arrived in very poor health, and the care staff saw me devotedly through a protracted recovery, to a point where I can fully enjoy life and the many activities Ridley offers. I now have time to rekindle my love of drawing and painting; while my results are variable, our activities provide a friendly experience which is both stimulating and intensely relaxing.

I was recently appointed as one of two resident ambassadors to give guidance and help to other residents and to act as a convenient liaison between them and management for comments and problem resolving.