Our team at
Winchcombe Place

I began my journey with Care UK in 2015 as a Health Care Assistant and have since developed my career through a variety of roles, including Senior HCA and Team Leader. I am now proud to be the Deputy Manager at Winchcombe Place.

In my current role, I work closely with colleagues across all departments to ensure we deliver high-quality, person-centred care to our residents. Strong communication, empathy, and approachability are essential in building trust and fostering a supportive environment for both our residents and team. I also place great value on team development and staff education, which are vital to maintaining the high standards we strive for.

One of the most rewarding parts of my day is walking around the home each morning to connect with residents, their families, and our team members. These interactions remind me of the meaningful impact we make every day.

Outside of work, I enjoy spending quality time and creating lasting memories with my family and friends.

I joined Care UK in 2019 because I wanted to be part of a team making a difference in our senior community

In this role, it’s important to be understanding and emphatic, have a welcoming personality and good communication skills.

I enjoy building new relationships and guiding care seekers on their care journeys to ensure they find the right environment for them or their loved one. I’m always looking at new ways I can support families and enhance the guidance we give to people living in the community. My favourite part of my role is seeing residents thrive at Winchcombe Place and of course, introducing them to our home and showcasing the excellent care and lifestyle on offer.

In 2021 I became Senior Customer Relations Manager, my proudest career moment to date, this is where I support other local Care UK homes, helping embed them in their local communities.

In 2024 I was honored to win the Social Change Agent Award at the Women Achieving Greatness in Social Care Awards. The award win was truly humbling. What I love most about my job is the opportunity to build meaningful connections and make a real difference in the lives of residents and the wider community.

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my grandchildren. I’m also keen to take on new challenges and push myself to new limits, my most recent pursuits have been mountain climbing, parachute jumping, learning to surf and snowboarding!

I have 20 years’ experience working in the catering industry, but for years I have cooked for people who wanted food, whereas now I am cooking for people who need food and it is much more rewarding.

My biggest professional challenge so far has been to run a 280-seat restaurant with a team of 16 chefs in Edinburgh. My highlight was catering the opening of the Dolphin Adventure Centre in Pangbourne and meeting Prince Edward, who was opening the centre.

My role requires you to be good at listening to what the residents want and what their expectations are. It is also very important to have a good team and get them to contribute their ideas into work practices and menus.

Outside of work I enjoy spending time with my partner and kids, as well as the occasional game of golf.

I have worked in domiciliary care and care homes for 27 years within a few roles from care, administration and management.

In this role you need to be a great listener, friendly and organised.  What makes me proud of my role is helping people and ensuring that their enquiries are dealt with.

My favourite part of the day is being able to interact with the residents, relatives and my team. 

Outside of work I enjoy spending time with my family and grandchildren. I enjoy a variety of holidays from camping to lazing by the pool abroad.

Previously I used to work in administration before leaving that role to care for my mum with Parkinsons. Which lead me to apply for my role as receptionist here at Winchcombe Place. I love working with not only the staff at Winchcombe but also helping residents and supporting them, and it makes my day if I make a difference to their day.

As my role of receptionist, you need to be polite, friendly and organised. I believe the most important part of my role is to be friendly and greet everyone that comes through the door.

I’m proud to work for Care UK and do all I can to support the residents, family members and our team. I might not be in a clinical role, but I am made to feel valued, and I like to make a difference for the people I work for. I am very lucky for that.

Before joining Care UK, I worked as a People & Communication Manager. I wanted to be part of something meaningful and support residents in living fulfilling, happy lives, so joining the team felt like the perfect opportunity.

In my role, it’s important to be friendly, organised, patient, and calm, with plenty of empathy. I love welcoming visitors through the door and making residents smile – often one cup of tea at a time!

Seeing the joy on a resident’s face and knowing I’ve helped make their day a little brighter makes me incredibly proud.

Outside of work, I enjoy baking, socialising, and taking part in muddy charity runs. A career highlight for me was becoming a manager at 20, leading a team of over 100, and proudly becoming the third generation in my family to work in the care industry.

Before joining Winchcombe Place, I was working as a bakery assistant. I was keen to work at the home when I saw the opportunity was available.

My favourite part of my day is speaking to the residents in the home, but ensuring the day-to-day running of my department is going well is the most important part of my role. As Head Housekeeper, I believe it’s important to be caring, passionate, hardworking and friendly.

I feel proud when I know I’ve done my job to the best of my ability. In fact, the highlight of my career is when I received an employee of the month award!

Outside of work, I enjoy baking, sewing and crafting.

I’ve been working for Care UK since 2017, and prior to that was Maintenance Manager at a medium secure hospital for many years. I wanted to join the Winchcombe Place team because I felt I had valuable skills and experience to bring which would benefit older people.

Moving my career to Care UK has been such a great move for me – challenging me and enabling me to develop. I think it’s important to be professional and caring in this role, and it’s vital that everything you do is done with understanding, and a smile.

Every resident at Winchcombe Place, and at all other Care UK homes, is ‘resident of the day’ at least once a month. This is a chance to ensure that their care and lifestyle and all aspects of their daily life are meeting their needs and wishes. As part of this initiative I check the resident’s bedroom to ensure it’s safe and everything is working properly. I get to have a chat with them too, which is very rewarding, and gives me a chance to get to know them better.

My mum, Julie is the Business Administrator at the home, and I’m a helper too. I came to work with her one day and didn’t want to leave, so we made the decision that I should work here on a permanent basis as part of the team.

My job is to put smiles on faces and to share the love. I visit all floors within the home and I can even come to your room if you wish. I have so much love to give that I just to share it with anyone I meet. I love a stroke and cuddle, but if I sit longer enough will I get an extra biscuit or three?

I am here to be your furry best friend, you can even take me for a walk – perhaps to the shop to share a fresh pack of digestives?