Our team at
Bickerton House

I joined Bickerton House after working as a Team Leader at Mountbatten Grange, another Care UK home. I’ve worked at Care UK on and off for more than five years, and I like the structure and culture that they promote.

The most important parts of my role are ensuring the health and wellbeing of residents and supporting and encouraging my team. As Deputy Manager, it’s important to be approachable, understanding and empathetic. You need to be a strong leader and someone who can be counted on, not just for residents but also their families and the team.

Every day at Bickerton House is a highlight, especially seeing the residents happy and enjoying their day, taking them on adventures and fulfilling their lives. My favourite part of the day is when I get out of the office at 3pm and catch up with the residents for coffee and cake.

My team make me proud. Coming into work every day and seeing the effort and hard work they put in to go above and beyond is amazing.

Outside of work, I’m usually chasing around my two young children! We enjoy going on the water – paddleboarding or kayaking – and exploring the great outdoors.

I’ve worked in residential care for the past 29 years, and for the last 19 years as a registered Home Manager. I decided to change up my career and join Care UK because I liked their values and was impressed with the quality of care.

My role is to ensure the process of moving into care is as stress-free as possible from start to finish. I love meeting families and spending time with residents, ensuring that their journey into the home is as seamless and enjoyable as it can be. In this role, it’s important to be empathetic, compassionate, sociable and kind.

Making a difference to an individual and their family at what can be a difficult time in their lives is what makes it all worth it.

When I’m not working, I enjoy spending time with my family, socialising and horse riding.

I joined Care UK in March 2020 having previously worked in retail as a Team Leader.

To do well in this role, I believe you need to have a caring nature, enjoy crafts, and have lots of ideas for planning events. My favourite part of my job is interacting with the residents. I especially enjoyed planning our activities at Christmas which included festive arts and crafts and a sing along at our New Year’s Eve party.

Outside of work I enjoy arts and crafts, cake making, gardening, and spending time with my family.

I had my own cleaning business before I started working for Care UK where I spent a lot of time with older people helping them in their own homes. I also have personal experience looking after my own grandparents when they were living with dementia. When I first visited Bickerton House, it looked a friendly and inviting place where the residents come first and maintain a fulfilling life doing the activities they enjoy.

I worked at Bickerton House as a Carer for 18 months before applying for the role of Lifestyle Lead. As Lifestyle Lead, I plan and carry out a varied activities programme for a wide variety of residents with different medical needs. To do my role, I think you need to be caring, energetic, fun, considerate, empathetic, creative and not afraid to be a little bit silly – it makes the residents happy!

I love spending time with the residents every day, helping them to achieve the things they thought they would never do again. Seeing a person living with dementia so happy from recreating a memory or helping a resident to go out and enjoy things again make me proud of what I do. I even passed my minibus driving test so I can now get the residents out and about more. I lost my nan and grandad to dementia, and they were very influential in my upbringing, so it makes me happy to know I am helping someone else’s loved one.

I joined the Bickerton House team as a member of the Housekeeping team, but I asked if I could be more involved in the activities side of things. I quickly proved myself to be creative and innovative, which are ideal qualities for this role, so I soon moved to the team on a permanent basis.

I love our group activities where lots of the residents take part. It’s wonderful to see their smiles and see them trying new things or rediscovering past hobbies. I always aim to make each person feel special and have a great experience, whether it’s organising something special for a person’s birthday or even organising a Christmas ‘Zoom’ party during the pandemic.

I’ve trained as a Namaste Care Practitioner with Care UK so I can deliver meaningful sensory experiences to residents living with advanced dementia. In this role, like any care role, it’s all about focusing on what’s possible, and thinking ‘outside the box’, rather than focusing on obstacles or barriers.

Outside of work, I enjoy going away for the weekend with my husband, two boys and dog in our caravan. I’m looking forward to doing that again when normality resumes!

I trained as a nurse in South Africa, where I qualified as a midwife, community, psychiatric and general nurse. I worked for 21 years as a Marketing Manager for a maker of neonatal ventilators and equipment and hospital consumables.

In 2021, I moved to the UK, and after settling I started working at Bickerton House in 2023. I started as a Nurse Manager and soon progressed to Clinical Lead.

I think a person in my role needs to be friendly, approachable, trusting and empathetic. Being a Clinical Lead is all about implementing positive changes at Bickerton House, and I love the team I work with and learning new tasks every day.

My favourite part of the day is spending time with residents and listening to their stories. They are deeply knowledgeable and wise.

I enjoy spending time with my family when I’m not working, going to different restaurants and having new experiences. I also like to find ways to challenge myself by reading different books, going on long walks and learning new things.

My background is working in the military. Before I joined the Bickerton House team I was Head Chef at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst. 

I enjoy being organised and it’s vital if you’re wanting to run a happy and successful kitchen in a big care home. The morning team meetings enable us to get each day off to a great start, so each member of the team knows what’s expected of them, and how to plan their day. Of course, the military is all about organisation, and, previously, I’ve helped to organise the Royal Windsor Tattoo. I also had the privilege to cook for Queen Elizabeth. 

I’m enjoying getting to know my team at Bickerton Court and learning all I can about each resident and their individual tastes and dietary needs. I’m delighted to be bringing my passion for food and expertise in cooking to benefit the residents of our Bracknell care home. 

Before joining Care UK, I worked within social care for many years as a Registered Care Manager for adults with learning disabilities and associated mental health. Most recently, I was the Care Coordinator for the Integrated Care Team at a GP Primary Care Network. I also have several years of experience in administration from managing and coordinating within my previous roles.

I knew Care UK was a significant provider in the care sector, and this attracted me to the organisation and the role of Business Administrator at Bickerton House. It’s my job to provide support to the smooth running of the home. In this role, it’s important to be approachable, dedicated and committed to going the extra mile.

I’m proud to have the opportunity to help and support the home to make a positive difference in residents’ lives. It’s a great feeling knowing that I have contributed to the best of my ability and have completed my role for the day effectively.

When I’m not working, I love socialising with family and friends, eating out, keeping fit and indulging in a good drama to unwind.

After spending 15 years working across electronics and plumbing, including working in general maintenance at Travelodge, I joined Care UK in 2022 for a more varied role. Bickerton House is local to my home, and the company has a good reputation.

I love that I get to work on a variety of jobs. The role changes every day, so you need to be able to think on your feet and keep your skills up to date.

I’m passionate about making a better home for the residents at Bickerton House. Meeting new residents and colleagues is my favourite part of working here.

Outside of work, I enjoy rebuilding motorhomes and caravans and I also love music.

I’m a self-taught gardener; it’s always been a hobby of mine. In my previous role at Go Ape, I learned that no matter the weather, I love to be outdoors.

I was keen to join Care UK because of its good reputation, and I believe in its core values.

In this role, you need vision, enthusiasm and perseverance. Every day is different, and the changes of the seasons offer exciting new challenges and opportunities. In 2021, I began volunteering at Lily Hill Park and have continued to do so since, which allowed me to expand my knowledge beyond my own back garden!

My favourite part of the day is interacting with the residents and team at Bickerton House. Being a gardener in a care environment has me directly involved in maintaining their quality of life, and it always makes me happy to see people enjoying the gardens.

When I’m not at work, I enjoy gardening, unsurprisingly! But I also dabble in photography, illustration and DIY at home.