Oakham Grange

Hello, I’m Catherine and I am very proud to be the General Manager of Oakham Grange. 

I offer a wealth of healthcare management experience and I am a nurse by training. My team and I are here to support you so that Oakham Grange feels truly your home. As we all grow older our wants and needs naturally change, so in turn, our support for you will mirror this. However, we will never forget, it’s your life, to be lived your way, with our support. I won’t be a stranger, so whenever you see me say hello and if you or your family ever want a private word, my office door is always open to you.

Hello I am the Deputy Manager here at Oakham Grange. I am a Registered Mental Health Nurse, having qualified at Robert Gordon’s University in 2007. I began my career working in Royal Cornhill Hospital in Aberdeen, in a functional assessment ward for those over 65 years of age who were experiencing acute mental health issues. I then moved on to working in a dementia assessment ward, and following that a challenging behaviour ward for gentlemen over the age of 65. Upon my return from maternity leave, I worked in a variety of settings, and then made the move back home to Rutland where I took up of Clinical Lead in a care home.

I am so proud to work at Oakham Grange, having been born in Oakham and bought up in Uppingham. I believe that people should be treated with the same love and care that I would like to see my own family treated with, and strive to make sure that this is the case for all our residents at Oakham Grange.

At the age of 17, I started my Dip H E in adult nursing at Leeds University. I qualified in 1999 and started my first job in nursing on Ward 15 at Glenfield hospital, which was a rehabilitation ward.

I started as a community nurse in April 2001, and this is where I have spent the last 19 years of my career, all be in different guises. I was a triage nurse for 18 months for the community and latterly from 2014 worked for a service called ICS.

I met my 2 colleagues Liz and Chrissy working here approximately 12 years ago and now a new adventure begins for the 3 of us as nurse practitioners working together to provide nursing care at Oakham Grange. This is very exciting!! To be able to work as a professional with friends who you have the utmost trust and belief in is very special. My aim as a nurse practitioner at Oakham Grange is to provide autonomous, person-centred care for our residents.

I studied BSC (Hons) Adult Nursing at East Anglia Polytechnique, I’d loved my student placements in the community working with the District Nurses and knew that this was what I wanted to do. Once qualified I took a job at Walsgrave Hospital in Coventry, I worked on an assessment unit for the elderly for a year before taking a job in a Community Nursing team in Leicestershire, that’s where I stayed for fourteen years before moving to the Intensive Community Support team in 2015.

I’ve worked with both Cat and Liz for over twelve years and we have a great working relationship with a wealth of experience that we can bring to Oakham Grange

From leaving school I worked as a Care Assistant in several residential homes in Leicestershire, eventually working my way up to Senior Carer. At the age of 26 I commenced my nurse training at Charles Freer School of Nursing, De Montfort University and successfully qualified as an Adult General Nurse in 2010. Since then I have predominately worked within the NHS as a Community Nurse, Prison Nurse and Practice Nurse. From a young age I always wanted to be a nurse, now I am there is nothing else I would want to be doing, working at Oakham Grange is my dream job!

As the Head Chef of Oakham Grange I bring to the role over 23 years’ military leadership and catering knowledge. Having felt privileged to delivering food management and culinary services in the some of the most challenging austere environments during active service in the British Army.

In my spare time alongside my wife Tracey, we run the Oakham Armed Forces and Veterans Breakfast Club. It gives likeminded folk an opportunity to meet people make new friendships and gives them a social outlet that they may not have necessarily had previously.

I believe that good food cooked and presented well whilst encompassing the wishes of our residents, is central to everything we hope to achieve. I think it’s vitally important that we forge links to champion local produce and support local business whenever possible.

In my role as Activity Coordinator at Oakham Grange I have opportunity to interact with the residents on another level, enabling meaningful moments and encouraging independence. It makes me happy when I make someone smile or provoke a positive memory.

Coming from a personal level, when my father was diagnosed with dementia, I witnessed the level of care he was receiving, which prompted me to start my own journey within the Care Sector. I took great pride in my role as a Care Assistant, achieving my level 2 in Adult Health Care. I really loved my interaction with the residents, so was thrilled to have the opportunity to become the Activity Coordinator within the same home. When as a family we moved up to Oakham, it was important to me to find a role that gives me the same level of job satisfaction.

I am very proud to be a wife and mother and we love our camping trips in our camper called Derek!

I am so pleased to have recently joined Oakham Grange as Head Housekeeper.  My previous role was in Housekeeping for 11 years at a Therapeutic residential school for boys and girls with social, emotional and mental health difficulties. Although this is a change in a work environment for myself, I bring to this role, enthusiasm, care, compassion and high standards. I will endeavour to work alongside this great team we have and support the working ethics of Oakham Grange.

My name is Tony Jackson and I am the maintenance man here at Oakham Grange. My entire working career has been spent using my hands (on the tools) and various skills I have picked up along the years. I see my role as a problem solver, people give me problems and my job is to find solutions. I am the oil that keeps the big machine (our lovely home) running along.

I have 3 main hobbies which are:

1. 1. Close up magic….I spent 35 years as a professional magician and have been lucky enough to travel around the world to perform.
2. 2. Martial arts …… I started my journey about 40 years ago and currently have 4 different Dan grades.
3. 3. Motorcycles …… I have a city & Guilds distinction in motorcycle mechanics and have built many of my own custom bikes. I’ve even had a 3 page feature in a magazine on one of them.

One of my favourite quotes is: If you see someone who hasn’t got a smile on their face, give them one of yours.

I was previously an Office Manager at a SEMH school for 12 years before joining Oakham Grange as Receptionist, as I wanted to take a step back to gain a more even work life balance while staying in a caring environment. I’m here to support residents and their families however I can; from ordering the morning papers, booking transport, family visits, Hairdressers appointments etc.

On a personal level I love spending time with my horses and tending my vegetable garden.

I’ve been married for 30 years to my husband Nick who I’ve known since I was 12 as we were at school together. I have one daughter who is a Teacher and has been married herself for 7 years. I am also the ‘Mother’ of 2 horses, 2 ducks, 3 chickens and 2 cats

I was previously an Office Manager at a SEMH school for 12 years before joining Oakham Grange as Receptionist, as I wanted to take a step back to gain a more even work life balance while staying in a caring environment. I’m here to support residents and their families however I can; from ordering the morning papers, booking transport, family visits, Hairdressers appointments etc.

On a personal level I love spending time with my horses and tending my vegetable garden. I’ve been married for 30 years to my husband Nick who I’ve known since I was 12 as we were at school together. I have one daughter who is a Teacher and has been married herself for 7 years. I am also the ‘Mother’ of 2 horses, 2 ducks, 3 chickens and 2 cats

Hello my name is Brabham and I am a Qualified PAT Dog (Pets As Therapy).

My role here is to spend time with residents, their family and friends and staff, offering unconditional affection. There is nothing I like better than being patted, stroked and hugged by all who wish to meet me. The special moments for me are when I bring back happy memories of past pets, or a smile to the face of someone who finds communication difficult. I have an interesting pedigree being half Saluki and half Standard Poodle, which makes me a 'Salukidoodle'.

I’m named after Sir Jack Braham’s F1 racing cars, as it has been said that I’m fast in a straight line, but suffer from understeer going round corners!