Our team at
Manor Lodge

Before joining Manor Lodge as Deputy Manager, I was working in the same role at Liberham Lodge, another Care UK care home. I’ve worked for Care UK for five years, and before that I worked for Princess Alice Hospice as a palliative care nurse specialist.

As Deputy Manager, I believe you need to be approachable and dedicated. The most important part of my role is supporting my team and helping residents to enjoy each day.

My favourite part of each day is seeing the residents and their family members around the home. Watching the residents having a meaningful lifestyle and witnessing the development of my team makes me proud of what I do.

When I’m not working, my family enjoys Second World War re-enactments at military events and attending 1940s days

I started working at Manor Lodge in 2018 as a Business Administrator, since then I have developed to now my role as Customer Relations Manager.

I decided to work for Care UK to help make a difference and have a positive impact on people lives. Manor Lodge is an Outstanding CQC rated care home and that is truly reflected in the support and care provided.

In this role you need to be caring, understanding and a person with great empathy and sympathy skills with a kind positive personality.

My favourite part of the working day is communicating and building relationships with relatives and residents and most importantly supporting families that might be going through a difficult time.

When a relatives/resident comes to me and thanks me for my support, it’s a lovely feeling knowing you have made an impact.

I love working at Manor Lodge, as soon as you walk through the door you are greeted with welcoming smiles, and you instantly feel part of the family. I love working with all colleagues, working together to achieve the end goal, seeing the residents being happy, safe and settled.

Originally from the Philippines, I am an experienced nurse and clinical lead. When I moved to the UK I worked for another care home and joined Care UK in 2009.

I thoroughly enjoy working within a modern care home setting and getting to know the residents at Manor Lodge. I enjoy giving residents quality time to really understand their needs.

I think it is so important to offer personalised care to each person and listen to how they feel. I’m looking forward to all the challenges and achievements this job can bring and being a part of the team here.

I was working in an administrative role before becoming the Lifestyle Lead at Manor Lodge. I was keen to join Care UK because I could see they value the residents who live in their homes.

The most important part of my role as Lifestyle Lead is to make residents feel happy, relaxed and included. In this role, you need to have a bubbly, happy personality.

I love every part of my day at Manor Lodge. It’s a great feeling arriving to work knowing that I’m going to make residents happy. I’m proud to fulfil residents’ wishes, and any time I can make them smile feels like a career highlight.

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

I have worked as a chef for 20 years and as a Head Chef for 14 years. I joined Care UK after working as Head Chef in a nursery because I wanted a new challenge and to spend more time on my career development.

To be a Head Chef, it's important to be strong, flexible and able to think on your feet. You have to run a well-organised kitchen and, when working in a care home, understand the needs of residents. In my role, I also enjoy developing new chefs and teaching them everything I know about cooking and food.

Lunch time is my favourite time of the day because I have the opportunity to go see residents and get feedback about the meals I’ve made that day. Seeing people enjoy the food I’ve cooked makes me proud of what I do.

I’ve been part of the Manor Lodge team since the summer of 2009. I used to work in a hospital but a friend told me about the vacancy here and suggested I apply. Manor Lodge is an usual care home because it has an in-house physiotherapist and a physiotherapy gym, but it has made all the difference to so many of the residents.

When residents move into the home, it’s often thought that they have no hope of regaining their mobility. We prove everyone wrong! Many people have been discharged back to living in their homes thanks to the physiotherapy service we’ve given them in combination with the ‘outstanding’-rated care and support provided by the whole Manor Lodge team. 

I get such a huge sense of achievement from the work I do here. Nothing beats seeing a person rediscovering their mobility and independence, and their happiness at what we’ve done for them.

Outside of work, I enjoy going on holidays with my family, or just spending as much time as I can with the people I love.

I joined Care UK in 2020 as a bank receptionist. Initially, I planned to return to my previous job after being furloughed, but when the time came I didn’t want to leave. It's been over four years since I made that decision, and looking back, it was definitely the right choice.

Manor Lodge is a wonderful place to work, and the support I've received here has been amazing. The management team has always encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone, which led to me enrolling in the Level 3 Business Administration course. The support and encouragement I’ve received have been important not only in my professional growth – transitioning from a bank receptionist in 2020 to a business administrator in 2023 – but my personal growth too.

My role is all about ensuring the home runs smoothly and efficiently, and making sure residents receive the best possible care in a well-managed, supportive environment. Good communication skills are essential for working with colleagues, residents and their families. Empathy and compassion are also important for understanding and meeting the needs of residents and their loved ones.

My favourite part of the working day is spending time with the residents. Listening to their stories, addressing their concerns and sharing in their daily lives is something I find really rewarding.

I’m proud knowing that my work helps create a home where residents feel valued and cared for and where families have peace of mind knowing their loved ones are in good hands.

I started working at Care UK in 2011, having had previous experience working within maintenance and gardening.

To be good in this role you need to be good at fixing things and DIY. I believe my biggest professional challenge in this role has been maintaining and keeping a home of this size up to date.

So far, my biggest career highlight to date has been the award I won for maintenance man of the year in 2014.

When I’m not working, I enjoy going to the cinema, eating out and getting out in my garden.

I worked in the care sector for five years before joining Manor Lodge, including most recently as an administrator in a private healthcare clinic. I read reviews about Care UK, and it seemed like an amazing place to work. After my interview, I found this proved to be true!

I’m the first point of contact for any enquiries at Manor Lodge, so the most important part of my role is providing guidance and making visitors and family members feel welcome and acknowledging their needs. In this role, you need to be empathetic, a problem-solver and adaptive to different situations.

I love the social aspect of being a receptionist. Interacting with family members and residents is always my favourite part of my working day. Whenever I can help someone, I feel proud of what I do.

When I’m not working, I spend a lot of time studying towards my Legal Executive qualification.

I’ve worked for Care UK for over ten years. I’m a trained chef and also have a publican’s licence. I’ve been a head chef in hotels, pubs and restaurants, as well as in care homes. 

You have to be able to think on your feet in this role. While it’s important to be organised, you need a calm head as things can sometimes change at the last minute. Being imaginative, a good communicator and good at leading a team all help too!

I get a huge sense of achievement from my role, knowing, at the end of the day, that what I’ve done has made residents happy and helped them to enjoy a lovely quality of life. I have a superb team – we work very well together. Everyone is focused on the ultimate aim: keeping the residents of Manor Lodge happy. We’re also very determined to maintain our ‘outstanding’ CQC rating!

Away from work, I enjoy gardening, knitting and going for trips in my VW campervan. Deep down I’m a hippie!

My role includes meeting and greeting visitors, and showing them my toys, and doing whatever I can to make the residents of Manor Lodge feel special. I’m pretty good at sitting on laps.

My favourite part of the day is coming into work and saying hello to all my friends.

After a couple of hours of being stroked and fussed over, I like to have a little nap – well it’s hard work, I can tell you! I might head off to the park to play with my toy or to chase a ball. Looking forward to seeing you soon at Manor Lodge!