Meet the Red Oaks Care Home Team

I started work at Red Oaks in 1990; at the time, I thought that I would stay for 6 months. I have had various roles over that time, all care related, and I have received a lot of training. I am a Care Practitioner and Head of Unit on Lavender floor, which is one of our dementia floors.

I have had the privilege of meeting and caring for some truly amazing people. I love my job at Red Oaks, with no two days ever being the same.

In 2017, I was nominated for a Barchester Care Award, and was very surprised and humbled to win the Lifetime Achievement Award.

I qualified as an RN1 and RMN in the 1980s and, after a career in psychiatry, I joined the team at Red Oaks as the care manager. After many years, I still love coming to work and have met and worked with many lots of wonderful people. My role is to ensure a high standard of care is consistently delivered to those we support. Out of work, I love travelling with my family, and reading gives me great pleasure.

I have worked at Red Oaks for 16 years and I consider it as my second home. I love being a Nurse! It is responsibility is to ensure the high quality care of our residents, maintaining their general well-being and making them happy. At Red Oaks, we work as a team!

Home Administrator

I have worked at Red Oaks since April 2005, initially on reception before becoming Administrator in March 2006. I gained my NVQ level 3 in Business & Administration in January 2009. I am responsible for supporting residents, relatives and staff with administration, financial and HR matters. The Admin team give a warm welcome to all our visitors and help to create the homely, family atmosphere that spreads throughout Red Oaks.

I have been working at Red Oaks for more than 10 years, during which time I have worked in most departments. I get to meet with the families of potential residents, who are seeking to find the right level of care for their relatives. I love showing our fantastic home to everyone who visits and I feel privileged to be able to offer help to families regarding, what is often, a very difficult and emotional decision.

My role as activity coordinator at Red Oaks is ensuring that all residents have a full and varied activity program. Using our getting to know me books and knowing our residents backgrounds develop our activity program. Having lived in Henfield for the past 10 years I enjoy assisting residents maintaining and forming new the community connections.

I am passionate about my role, the part is having fun and making people smile.

I am aware mealtimes are a hugely important event in the day for our residents, so I endeavor to prepare, cook and present food from  seasonal menu that residents can enjoy. I lead a team of kitchen staff consisting of a 2nd chef, kitchen assistants and hostesses, whom I support in their roles and encourage to professionally develop. I work closely with the general manager, deputy manager and registered nurses to ensure we provide meals suitable for residents' differing requirements.

Red Oaks holds events for residents, relatives and the local community throughout the year, which almost involves catering. This is jointly organised with the general manager, activities coordinator and myself, and relies on effective team work by all the kitchen team to make a success of the event. I communicate daily with the general manager and visit residents in their own rooms regularly, or chat with them in the dining room, to ensure we are meeting their individualised needs and they are satisfied.

I am always happy to prepare food during special occasions for residents and their families, and we have previously catered for a wedding, birthday parties and funeral teas. Visitors to the home will find they have access to tea, coffee and my home baking, and many make use of this facility. 

I enjoy working at Red Oaks, as there is excellent communication between all departments, and I there is a great team spirit, where everyone helps when required

I enjoy working at Red Oaks, I ensure that the home is well maintained and work with external contractors to ensure all equipment and the home itself is safe and fit for purpose. I enjoy chatting to the residents as I go around the home and it’s a lovely part of my job to build relationships not only my colleagues but with the residents in their home.

My role as Hospitality Manager means that I am responsible for the restaurant and also for the  hostess services to the Assisted Living Apartments. I maintain overall responsibility for hygiene procedures and I ensure that staff follow these at all times. I am also responsible for the housekeeping and laundry function at the home.

I started working at Red Oaks in 2015 and have since completed my NVQs and am now a Care Practitioner. During my time at Barchester I have taken on separate roles including Safeguarding Campion. I am Team Leader on Lavender and work with a great team. I have always been fond of looking after people with dementia and over the years have raised money for Dementia UK.