Meet the Strachan House Care Home Team

Hello, I’m Liz and I have been a nurse for over 15 years. I started with Strachan house a little over a year ago and have been the Unit manager for our Memory Lane community. 

My love for the job and the residents are at the forefront of everything that I do, and I will go above and beyond to ensure the happiness and well-being of everyone within the home. 

Karol has been a much valued member of the Strachan House since 2020.

He speaks fondly and with warmth about the family feel of the home, not just with his colleagues but also extending to the residents and their families. 

Away from the home, Karol has two very cherished dogs, he is a keen tennis player, swimmer and enjoys going to concerts and gigs

Daria has been a part of the Strachan family since 2006 and works in the home as part of the team of Nurses and is our Unit Nurse Manager. 

She speaks with great enthusiasm about the family dynamic of the home, how Strachan House is family that takes great joy and pride in looking after our residents and giving them the highest quality of life. 

Away from the home, Daria is a huge fan of literature and likes nothing more than to have a good book beside her and a cup of coffee. 

Mark has been a part of the Barchester family since 2014.

Having come into the company as a Care Assistant, later a Senior Carer, he then moved onto Activities, becoming Senior Activities for the North Yorkshire area and now as a Customer Relationship Manager.

Marks passion has always been found in wanting to better the lives our residents and to help them find and enjoy new experiences. taking great pride in supporting our homes and being there for our residents and families.

Within his role Mark supports our home with Community Engagement, building relationships with groups and charities in the area and supporting our wonderful activities teams with their home events.

My name is Claire, I am from London and have been working as a nurse since 2012 and since 2022 with Barchester. I have started a family and returned recently from maternity leave as a senior nurse. I thoroughly enjoy working with the team and residents here at Strachan, every day is different and everyone is exceptionally kind and caring.

Linda has been a part of the Strachan House family since July 2022,

She speaks proudly about her role as the home administrator saying it is a privilege to meet and support new residents and their families at what can be an incredibly difficult time for them.

Linda says she feels incredibly fortunate to be a part of such an incredible team of colleagues at Strachan House.

Away from the home she enjoys spending time with her children and grandchildren and travelling during holidays.

G’day! My name is Natasha and I am the activities lead here at Strachan House. I am Australian born and bred, braving the dark and the cold here in Edinburgh to enjoy the beautiful nature and wonderful people! I have a background in team management and design. I have always loved working with people and have a strong interest in mental health and well-being, recently embarking on a psychology degree with an interest in specialising in Art Therapy. I am working with the team to create a vibrant, engaging and person-centred home.

Hello, My name is Paul Dow and I am the Head Chef here at Strachan House,  I joined the team at Strachan House in July 2021 and I bring 30 years of experience with me.   I trained as a chef in an army kitchen before venturing into the hospitality industry in Foxton working in a hotel in Hythe.

I  then moved to Edinburgh to work in a high-class restaurant and stayed with the same company for 24-years before joining the team here at Strachan House. I look forward to my new  adventure and getting to know the residents and providing them with a high standard of food as they so deserve.

I love my family and spending time with them this is one of the reasons I wanted a new chapter to change my work life balance.  I also love football, golf and music. I look forward to being a part of the Strachan House team.

I have been at Strachan House Care Home since October 2020. I have been in the property maintenance industry for over 7 years. My role here is to ensure that the property and grounds are maintained to a high standard. An equally important part of my role is the very good relationship I have with the residents, relatives and the staff. In my spare time I enjoy watching football and spending time with my family.

Heather is proud to be the Head Housekeeper at Strachan House alongside her team of incredibly passionate Housekeepers and Laundry Assistants. 

Heather takes great pride in ensuring the home is always at its best for our residents comfort and to help them feel at home and ease.

I have worked in Strachan House since 2014. I first started as a carer before moving onto activities, which I really enjoyed. I started working on reception at the beginning of 2019 and with any new role you are forever learning. I believe I now have the best of both worlds as I work 3 days on reception and 2 days on activities.  This allows me to spend some quality time with our residents and enhancing they day-to-day lifestyle.  I am passionate about my roles within the home. Outside of work I like art, music, yoga, and spending time with my family at the weekends.

I have worked with Barchester for almost 20 years! Originally from the Philippines, my long standing position at Strachan has led to strong community ties and a deep connection with residents and their families. Each day is different and I thoroughly enjoy the work that I do.

Stephanie is very much valued member of our team of Carers and one of our Senior Carers. 

She speaks about how Strachan House has a very special place in her heart and feels like a second home to her.

Stephanie loves to spend time with our residents and wanting to make them feel special. 

Away from the home, Steph is a professional dancer and enjoys spending time and socialising with her friends

Vicky has been a part of the Strachan House family since 2017 and is a part of our wonderful hospitality team. 

She speaks proudly about she enjoys getting to know the residents and helping to make their lives as comfortable as possible.

Away from the home, Vicky loves to spend time with her family.

Yussuf is a member of our brilliant team of carers within the home and he speaks enthusiastically about his role at Strachan House. 

He takes great satisfaction and pride in knowing his residents are happy and content and loves to spend time with them.

Yussuf says that he views Strachan House as a second home and really enjoys taking part in a wide variety of activities with the residents.

He proudly states that he is so proud of the high standards at Strachan House he would recomend the home to his own family.

Lee is a member of our wonderful Care Assistants in the home and takes great pride in delivering person centred care to our residents. 

He thoroughly enjoys spending time with our residents and engaging with them through the homes Life Enrichment Activities.

Following her sponsorship with Barchester and completing her Masters Degree, Diana has been a part of the Strachan family since 2022. 

She speaks with great fondness about the kind and caring team in the home and for her that care is personal having looked after a loved one. Diana sums up her love for the home and it's resident by saying she isn't lucky to be working at Strachan House but she is lucky to call it her home. 

Diana is a proud mother to two children, she enjoys time with her family and has a passion for athletics including the discus, shot put and javelin. 

She also enjoys dancing, Bollywood and Classical Music. 

Before joining the Strachan House family, Cameron was a volunteer carer for 40 years. Following the pandemic, Cameron joined the home as one of our brilliant care assistants. 

He speaks of feeling valued within the home and having a great future as a part of Barchester. 

Cameron loves to spend time with the residents and his colleagues and finds his role inceredibly rewarding.

Gary has been a member of the Strachan House family since 2022

He takes great satisfaction in his maintenance role and says that everyday presents a different challenge

In his spare time, Gary enjoys visiting car boot sales, collecting paraphernalia ranging from War Time medals, Jack Daniels items and Star Wars memorabilia

Debbie has been a part of our wonderful team of housekeepers since 2018. 

She loves to interact with the residents and families and takes great pride in her job role, making the home.

Away from Strachan House Debbie loves to spend time with her family and Grandchildren and enjoying time in the garden.

Kenneth has been a proud member of the Strachan House family since 2001 and makes up part of the team of our wonderful housekeepers.

He speaks proudly of his passion about how much enjoyment he takes from getting to know the residents and takes great pride in his role. 

In his spare time, Kenneth is a keyboard player with a wide ranging taste of music and enjoys travelling on the train, his favourite destination being York and the Railway Museum.

Hello, my name is Gill and I have been a physiotherapist with Strachan House since 2020. For over 30 years, I have worked in various settings such as hospitals, care homes and within the community. I specialise in neurology, as well as medicine of the elderly and have previously set up a community stroke service.

The team here at Strachan are exceptional, and we work closely, to rehabilitate, provide support and encouragement to the residents.

Hello, my name is Kirsteen and I joined the Physiotherapy Team at Strachan House in 2021.  I have been a physiotherapist for over 20 years, specialising in rehabilitation and I have experience working in many areas including neurology, orthopaedics, medicine of the elderly and management of long-term conditions.  

In 2022, I trained as a Love to Move deliverer.  Love to Move is a fun, age and dementia friendly seated exercise programme set to a great soundtrack and I really enjoy running these classes weekly.

I love being part of the physiotherapy team at Strachan House and I'm passionate about helping our residents stay active no matter what their age or ability.   

Hazel has been the hairdresser of Strachan House since 1998 and speaks proudly about her role in the home and being a part of the Strachan House family.

She loves to make our residents feel pampered and special and says it is a lovely feeling that for some of her ladies, the hairdressers is their favourite time of the week. 

Away from the home, Hazel enjoys Sewing, knitting and is a keen gardener.

Music therapy is based on the belief that everyone can respond to music. Even people who experience severe or complex physical and mental illnesses can be soothed through music. It can be especially effective in people diagnosed with dementia as it can bring back special memories or help them express themselves.

Corinne joined the Strachan House Family in March 2022 and has a real passion for helping our residents connect and engage through the power of music. 

Corinne says: "The power of music makes beautiful connections for people, especially those suffering with dementia. I really enjoy helping make an impact to the residents at Strachan House through music."