Bickerton House

I qualified as a Registered Mental Health Nurse in 1994 and I have 25 years of nursing experience. I decided to work at Care UK because I was very drawn to its ethos of ‘Fulfilling lives’. I visited different Care UK homes before I started working for the organisation, and you could really see and feel this philosophy. I got a genuine sense of the quality of care that Care UK delivers. 

I enjoy any chance I get to spend time one-to-one with a resident, learning about their life and some new detail. It’s a great way of developing their trust in you, and it ensures that we’re delivering person-centred care that’s tailored to their interests and needs. 

I started as home manager at Bickerton House in February 2019, so there’s plenty to look forward to in this role, from recruiting a great team, to creating a homely, stimulating and happy home environment for residents. 

I’m delighted to be a part of Care UK and the Bickerton House team, which I joined in 2019. I’m a registered nurse, and before working here, I was a Clinical Lead/Nurse Manager in hospitals. I’d also worked for 18 months as a Deputy Manager in another care home. But I wanted to join Care UK because it’s the leading care provider in this country.

My favourite part of my job here is meeting residents and helping to fulfil their needs. We’re a strong team at Bickerton House and we’re passionate about fulfilling residents’ lives in what is their home. I’m enjoying developing strong personal relationships with my colleagues, with residents and with their families.

I worked in events and hospitality for ten years before becoming a domiciliary care worker. I loved the Care UK ethos of ‘fulfilling lives’ as I think older people are such a treasured part of the community, so I was keen to join the organisation. As a CRM I can use my care and people skills to make a difference to families looking for quality care. It’s a great feeling working in a market leading company as there are plenty of opportunities to stretch yourself and learn new skills and processes.

I enjoy interacting with residents and seeing them enjoying the activities, making new friends and forming new memories. This is a great role for working with colleagues across different teams in the home, and for meeting new people. I’m looking forward to helping residents to feel at home, to building strong community links, and to supporting relatives. 

In this role it’s important to be receptive to residents’ needs, and to respond quickly to feedback and make any changes to a person’s diet in liaison with the nursing team. Much like in a leading hotel or restaurant, presentation is everything at Bickerton House, and one of the best parts of the day is setting up the café in the morning. There’s a great selection of delicious food on display, ready for residents and their visitors to enjoy.

I’m enjoying getting to know the residents, their families and my colleagues, and making sure that my team and I are always serving up delicious and nutritious dishes that residents love.

I spent 25 years working in catering in Kitchen Assistant and then Hospitality Manager roles before moving to Bickerton House as Head Housekeeper in 2019. It was time for a change and a new challenge. There’s been a lot to get to grips with – tackling computer systems – but I’ve got there in the end!

I enjoy being busy, and there’s always plenty going on at Bickerton House. I enjoy chatting to residents and the families and getting to know their preferences and what’s important to them, and I’m looking forward to getting to know new residents as they join us.

This is residents’ home, so we strive to ensure everything is as they would want it. Being friendly, patient and polite is all-important in helping people to settle and forming a bond with them. Having a good eye for detail is key too, because it’s the details that matter.

I joined the Bickerton House team in 2019, having worked for another care provider as the Business Manager of a Wokingham care home. I was keen to move my career to Care UK because it’s a good company, known for taking care of residents and colleagues.

It’s very exciting to be part of a new team, getting to know the residents and the systems used by Care UK. There’s a lot to do. I’ve run my own business tutoring people in Spanish, so I like a challenge!

It’s important to be customer focused, organised, patient and methodical in this role. I get a buzz out of organising and completing tasks, and supporting residents and my colleagues in any way I can.