Our team at
Asterbury Place

I have been in the social care sector for most of my working life, having worked my way up from a carer to home management roles. I have worked with a range of providers, but I became interested in joining Care UK after seeing how they develop their colleagues. I thought this would be a care provider that can really help me progress in my career. I first joined Care UK at Cedrus House in May 2021, and I was promoted to Deputy Manager in January 2023. In December 2023, I moved over to Asterbury Place.

In this role, I believe it’s important to be patient, resilient and supportive. I love that no two days are ever the same. Seeing the smiles on residents’ faces is my favourite part of the day, and I feel proud when they are happy and when colleagues leave their shift happy.

I have worked as a Head Chef in care home catering since 2009, and at Asterbury Place since 2014 after Care UK took over the Suffolk County Council care home where I worked previously. I was happy to accept the position of Head Chef and haven’t looked back since. The highlight of my career was reaching the Chef of the Year final for Care UK in 2023.

Working in this role, you need to be hard-working and have a can-do attitude. You also need to have a passion for food and cooking, and good communication and organisation skills are essential.

My favourite part of the day is talking to residents about their food. I always listen to residents and taken on board their feedback and suggestions. I love to experiment with cooking new dishes too.

My job is to produce a high standard of food every day for the residents and to cater to all dietary needs and contribute to residents’ wellbeing. When I hear residents are very satisfied and I receive compliments about the food, it makes all the hard work worth it.

Outside of work, I enjoy all sports, especially following Ipswich Town and ten pin bowling.

I joined the team at Asterbury Place as a care assistant in 2015 but I soon worked my way up to business administrator after some time working as the home’s receptionist and activity coordinator. After working as a domiciliary care assistant in the community, Care UK felt like the right fit for me. Being in a care home environment meant I could spend more time with the residents and offer more care than I ever could in my previous role.

Since my first interview I felt welcome at Asterbury Place. I enjoy working here; the home is lovely and very well run. The team are brilliant and management work hard to ensure the residents are happy and engaged.

Before joining Care UK, I spent 20 years looking after an older couple in Hong Kong. Caring for other people makes me feel valued.

Spending time with residents, talking with them and making them smile are my favourite parts of my day. I also love to work with other colleagues as a team to promote a positive work environment for everyone within the home.

My role is to lead, manage, supervise and to provide a high standard of hospitality and cleaning within the home by maintaining an efficient, cost effective and clean, hygienic working environment. I enjoy working effectively as part of a team and believe it’s important to have a ‘can do’ attitude to work.

I love receiving positive feedback from residents, relatives and colleagues regarding the cleaning and laundry quality. It makes me feel proud of what I do. I was also delighted to win a national award and a Suffolk Care Award for keeping residents safe during Covid.

When I’m not working, I enjoy walking in the park and taking photos of flowers, birds and animals, as well as making DIY craft flowers for decoration.

I worked in logistics prior to joining the social care sector, but I reached a point in my life where I reevaluated my career and my values, and I wanted to go into an industry where I could help others. I started working as a Care Assistant and have remained in this industry ever since.

My role is to ensure residents, colleagues and visitors are safe. A maintenance role requires patience and an eye for detail, as well as good communication skills. It’s also important to have a combination of knowledge on statutory and regulatory compliance and building aesthetics.

My favourite part of this role is the social side spending time with residents. I love seeing the events and experiences we provide to residents and being the minibus driver – it's a real privilege.

I’m proud of all the amazing colleagues I get to work with and the joy that we bring to residents’ lives.

When I’m not working, I like to keep fit, and I enjoy spending weekends with my boys.