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Our team at
Cheviot Court

Trusted to care in South Shields, Tyne & Wear

Trusted to care in South Shields, Tyne & Wear|With 40 years’ experience,
Care UK are experts in delivering award winning care|Care UK is the most awarded care home provider for the last three years|Discover why Care UK is trusted to care by over 9,000 families

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Meet our friendly care team

Our team is very professional, but we’re fun too. We’re also single-minded in our determination to make each day the best for your loved one. We love making a difference to people’s lives and we know that it’s easier to do that when we work together. We love the time we spend with the people we care for.

Louise Damms

Home Manager

Louise Damms

I first came to work here in 2004, but was made manager in 2010.

I’ve been involved in caring for older people for about 15 years now, working my way up from being a domestic to my current role as a care home manager. One of the biggest things I’ve learnt over the years is that a positive, friendly and welcoming atmosphere makes a real difference to the quality of residents’ lives.

I like to think of the residents and staff at Cheviot Court as one big family – it certainly feels that way to me. Seeing residents smiling and happy at the end of the day is such a huge reward for me. And I love to see how much support and encouragement residents get from their families too. We have a knitting club here, with residents making blankets to sell at our fete. The residents knit blanket squares, then a family member takes them home and sews them together. Another relative then adds pretty edging to the blankets – it’s a real family effort!

I enjoy lots of the simple things in life – spending time with my children, socialising with friends, watching a film at the cinema. When I can, I also like to relax and recharge my batteries by reading a good book. I think it’s really important that residents have choices about how they spend their time too, so we always try to base activities around people’s individual interests.

Knowing what a good team we have here at Cheviot Court is another thing which gives me so much satisfaction. Everyone works really hard and we aim to achieve the highest standards in all areas of the home’s life – not just the most visible areas but the ‘behind the scenes’ ones too. I’m very proud that our kitchen team has been awarded the highest possible ‘five star’ food hygiene rating by the Food Standards Agency.

Rachel Thorius
Rachel Thorius
Deputy Manager

As Deputy Manager, it’s my responsibility to make sure residents feel happy and safe at Cheviot Court. In this role, it’s important to be caring while also having a strong-willed character.

I love working at Cheviot Court; it’s like having another family. I’m proud of the progress I’ve made in my career through the training I’ve had, including achieving my Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications. Being promoted to senior Team Leader and more recently to Deputy Manager have been career highlights. Carrying out my role successfully makes me feel fulfilled in what I do.

When I’m not working, I enjoy spending time with my family.

Paula Evans
Paula Evans
Lifestyle Lead

I used to volunteer to help on trips and activities at Cheviot Court, and I enjoyed the experience so much that I applied to join the team. I became part of the home team in 2017. I previously worked in the retail sector for nearly 20 years. 

In this role it’s important to be fun and positive, patient and respectful, bubbly and caring, and, above all, to be interested in people – I’m always learning new things about people I thought I knew well! The best parts of the day are when any activity goes really well and residents are getting into it and smiling and laughing. It’s the best feeling. 

I love the live music we host, the parties we have, and our great relationships with residents’ loved ones. When families take part in our activities and parties it makes Cheviot Court feel like a big family home. 

In my spare time I enjoy socialising with friends and watching live music. 

Gary Carr
Gary Carr
Head Chef

I have 36 years of hotel and restaurant catering experience, and I decided to join Cheviot Court because I was looking to give back to my community.

In a Head Chef role, you need to be organised, professional, caring and a team worker. I believe the most important part of my role is being approachable, and I love receiving feedback from residents at any point in the day.

When I can pass on my knowledge and see results from my team, I feel proud in my role.

Outside of work, I enjoy good food, spending time with my mates, watching football and playing poker.

Carrie Waugh
Carrie Waugh
Business Administrator

I come from a retail administration background, but was keen to join the team at Cheviot Court in order to do a role where I could make more of a difference to people’s lives. Lots of the skills from my previous roles come in handy here, but it’s also important to have empathy and be friendly and approachable when you’re liaising with families and residents.

This is such a rewarding role – I would definitely say that working for Care UK is one of the highlights of my career. It has been a big learning curve for me, never having worked in care.

The best part of the day is seeing residents enjoying the many activities that our talented lifestyle team organise each day. Hearing laughter, singing and music around the home makes me smile. I’m also enjoying learning residents’ life stories.

Linda Harkus
Linda Harkus
Team Leader

I’ve worked at Cheviot Court for many years, I actually started here when I was 17, and I was initially a domestic. I then moved into care and have worked my way up. There’s a very warm and welcoming atmosphere at the home. It’s like a home from home, not just for the residents but for colleagues too!

I enjoy caring for older people and I’ve enjoyed developing my knowledge, skills and confidence with the support of the great team here at the home. There’s always something new to learn, and I’m proud to have got to the level of Senior Carer.

The best part of my role is spending time with the residents. I’ve got to know them all very well having worked here for so long. They’re fantastic people and they appreciate what we do for them, which makes everything worth it.

Dawn Peterkin
Dawn Peterkin
Head Housekeeper

I’ve been at Cheviot Court since it opened in 2004. I started as a domestic and then became housekeeper. I’d been a laundry assistant and supervisor in a nursing home before I moved here, so I was familiar with a care home environment, which was helpful. 

I enjoy everything about my job: working with my great team and doing whatever I can for residents. There’s a strong family atmosphere here and you get very attached to the residents – you learn how they like things to be done. Our team has the chance to make all the difference to residents: having a chat or encouraging them to keep independent by putting laundry away or wiping a windowsill down with a duster. They’re little things but vital for helping a person to continue to lead a normal life. 

Gillian McNaney
Gillian McNaney
Maintenance

I used to work as a Care Assistant and have been part of the Cheviot Court team since 2016. Moving into doing maintenance was quite a change, but it’s been a great experience. 

I enjoy the variety and autonomy of this role, every day is different and I work all around the building, so I see all the residents and have a chat with them. This role is equally as rewarding as working as a carer. I am still making a difference to people’s lives. 

This role involves much more than maintenance. You need to be sociable and positive and prepared to turn your hand to anything. It brings with it a huge sense of achievement. 

In my spare time, I enjoy socialising with family and friends, relaxing in the garden, watching shows and bands, and much more. 

Our experienced teams

Every day Care UK colleagues live our values of passionate, caring and teamwork to empower residents to enjoy fulfilling lives.

Carers

Our hardworking teams always keep individuals and their families at the heart of the care they provide. We work with you to shape the care your loved one receives, the food they’re served, the activities and experiences they want to do – even the ways they prefer to keep in touch with their friends and family. 

Home support roles

From catering to maintenance, housekeeping to administration, our home support teams play a crucial part in ensuring individuals enjoy an exceptional and safe service every day.

All our teams get to know each person they care for to ensure they provide a service that’s designed around their unique needs and tastes. 

Lifestyle

Our dedicated lifestyle teams work hard to organise a range of activities and events at our home. From gardening and baking to quizzes, music sessions and even live entertainment. Above all, we get to know your loved one to make sure our activities are tailored to suit their interests and hobbies.

Infection control

Each of our homes have a trained Infection Control and Prevention Champion – they are responsible for carrying out daily infection control audit and ensuring cleaning protocols are meticulously applied.