Our team at
Laurel Dene

I qualified as an enrolled Nurse in 1985, and after a break of six years I returned to nursing when my children were older. I’m now a Registered Nurse after completing my EN Conversion and Nurse Management Training with the University of Central Lancashire in 2000.

I worked for another large care provider for 24 years, but I felt I had achieved all I wanted to there and decided it was time to move on to pastures new. A friend of mine told me Care UK was a great provider to work for, and I joined in April 2020.

Laurel Dene is a beautiful home to work in, and I want to be part of the team that takes this home from strength to strength. I love the Deputy Manager role because I still get to spend quality time with residents, providing hands-on care. It’s important to be caring, compassionate and have a genuine desire to help others in this role. You also need to have a solid knowledge base and be willing to learn new skills regularly.

My daily walk rounds are where I catch up on what’s happening in the home, and it’s my favourite part of the day. I meet and chat with residents and see how they are doing, and I check in with team members and address any concerns they have. I enjoy the team that I work alongside – we all want the best care for our residents.

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my children and grandchildren. My husband and I have a love of good music, good food and good company. We enjoy exploring new countries and trying new food and cultures.

My grandmother was a resident at Laurel Dene, and that inspired me to become part of the team in 2021. When I used to visit her here, it was a very welcoming and warm environment, and I thought I’d love to work in a place like that as it seemed like a very rewarding and fulfilling job.

Interacting with the residents is the best part of my job – they really enjoy it when we throw themed parties for them. I love creating a variety of events and activities for the residents to enjoy. It’s important to be creative and hardworking to do this job well – and you have to like having fun!

Outside of work, I enjoy taking my dogs on long walks and going to Greece with my husband. I also run my own beauty business on a part-time basis, and I opened my own salon in the centre of Richmond.

I began my career at Laurel Dene in 2020 as I wanted to gain more experience working with older people. Before joining Care UK, I was a Learning Support Assistant in a college, helping teenagers with learning difficulties.

I joined Laurel Dene as a Care Assistant, but when I applied to join the activities team, I got the job. Adapting to the new role was a challenge, but it has also been the proudest moment of my career so far. My role as an Activities Coordinator requires a lot of patience, as well as individuality and creativity. You also need to have the ability to adapt and plan efficiently in any situation.

I love singing with the residents, it's one of my favourite activities we do together. I can’t wait to see what new activities we plan for the home this year – I want to bring a lot of joy, laughter and fun to the residents at Laurel Dene.

Outside of work, I unwind by watching TV and reading. I also like to go to the theatre and watch shows.

I joined Care UK as a Receptionist in 2016 and worked my way up to Team Leader and now Unit Manager. Receiving this promotion from the Regional Director was a highlight in my career.

Before joining Laurel Dene, I worked in an optician’s office, but I wanted a change of career. I had visited care homes before and have family working in them, and I decided I’d like to work a care setting.

To do well in this role, you need to be patient, empathetic and able to manage your time. You also need to have a drive to continually do better. I love interacting with the residents and helping to make their day better.

Working in care can be so fulfilling. I look forward to continuing to develop Laurel Dene and supporting my team to do the best for every resident.

To unwind after work, I spend time with my family and friends.

I worked in a GP surgery for five years before joining Care UK. In 2018, I decided I wanted to expand my admin knowledge with a new challenge, and when I saw the advert at Laurel Dene, I knew this was the right opportunity for me.

Laurel Dene has a family feel – you’ll always find colleagues laughing with residents and enjoying each other’s company. Every day is different, and I like having a manager that encourages me to do my best and continue learning.

It's important be understanding, compassionate and caring to do this job. You also need to be dedicated to learning new skills, hardworking and a good problem solver. When you’re dealing with a large home, you need to have empathy as you’ll come across many different scenarios from colleagues, relatives and residents.

Learning all the new systems in this job was my biggest challenge, and feeling confident in my skills with them is my biggest achievement! I like when I’m able to teach new things to my colleagues so they get new skills too.

When I’m not working, you’ll find me exploring new places and travelling. I like spending time with my family and pets and watching films and documentaries.

I started my career in domiciliary care, but I wanted something more stable with less travelling so I could spend more time with the people I was looking after. I began working at Care UK in 2020 as a Care Assistant.

Being called into the Home Manager’s office and offered a promotion to Team Leader was the biggest highlight of my career so far. As a Team Leader, you have more interactions with hospitals, GPs and other service providers. To do this role well, you need to be caring and patient. You also need to be able to work in a team and communicate at all times.

I love the family environment at Laurel Dene – it's a home away from home. I especially like spending time with the residents when they’re having lunch because I get to help feed them and talk to them. Mealtimes are a big part of the day, and it’s important to help residents dine with dignity.

When I’m not at work, I enjoy spending time with my niece and nephew. I go to all my niece’s gymnastics shows and my nephew’s football games.

I worked as a Deputy Manager at Ladbrokes for a decade, but after caring for my grandparents for eight years, I decided I wanted to make a difference to people’s lives. I joined Care UK in 2017.

I’ve always enjoyed socialising with people, but you also need to be caring, passionate and empathetic to work in this role. We work in the residents’ home, so I like when I can stop and talk to them while doing my job. The residents have great personalities, and I always have a laugh with them and make them smile.

We’re like a family at Laurel Dene, and we laugh every day. We all respect each other and the residents too.I like that Care UK recognises hard work. The biggest moment in my career so far was when I was promoted to Head Housekeeper here at Laurel Dene.

To unwind, I enjoy shopping and spending time with my family going on long walks and bike rides.