Rockdale House

Jo Tenwick is Rockdale House’s Registered Home Manager and a registered nurse.

It could be argued that managing Rockdale House was fate for Jo. When her mother was heading into hospital to give birth she was stopped at the doorway by a fortune teller. The fortune teller told her she’d have a double surprise, and that she’d raise a teacher and a nurse. To Jo’s mother’s surprise, later that day she gave birth to twins. One indeed became a teacher. The other – Jo – went on to become a nurse and care home manager!

Jo has spent her entire working life in the care sector. Inspired at the age of 16 by her Social Care teacher, Jo found work experience in a care home and never looked back. She read Politics & Economics at university but supported herself throughout by working as a domiciliary and care home carer. Upon graduating she then trained as a nurse before spending many years working in NHS hospitals, including in A&E, ITU and Respiratory wards. In 2005 Jo made the move to residential and nursing care homes for the elderly, doing every form of nursing role, then progressing into management positions including ‘Development Manager’, ‘Head Of Governance & Compliance’ and a variety of Regional and Area Manager roles for large care home chains. Jo’s experience of managing care homes across London and the home counties is vast.

However, small is beautiful - and after having worked for large corporates, Jo is now relishing the independence, intimacy and family-feel of Rockdale House. She says; “The moment I first walked into Rockdale House I fell in love with it. It’s such a rare gem… a care home that really feels like the residents’ home. There’s a friendly, family-like atmosphere that you notice as soon as you arrive. Many of our staff have been here for years, sometimes caring for two generations of the same family! It’s a place where you instantly feel comfortable.”

Away from work, Jo loves to spend time drawing with her young daughter and travelling with her family. She’s also rather partial to Suska, her cat.

Although Annika is one of the most dedicated nurses you could ever meet, nursing was a vocation that very nearly didn’t happen for her. “When I was little I wanted to be a neurosurgeon, but unfortunately I got distracted by boys during my school exam years.” It was only years later, as a new mum, that she rediscovered her love of education. “I picked up a pamphlet offering free degrees in nursing, and a few weeks into my studies I realised that nursing was my absolute passion!”

Now, with over 14 years’ experience as a qualified nurse behind her, Annika is the Deputy Manager of Rockdale House and our Head of Nursing. She joined us in 2024, having spent 7 years working at care homes in the Gravesend area, and 6 in community nursing – not to mention her work providing medical expertise as a ‘Functional Assessor for Disability’ for the DWP.

Says Annika; “My career in nursing has seen me care for a huge variety of people with a vast range of needs. But what drew me to care for the elderly is that you learn the person, and not just the ailment or condition. Working in care homes involves completely holistic care in a way that nursing in, for instance, a hospital doesn’t. This is what really motivates me! At Rockdale House we’re all about enablement – supporting and recognising a need and then enabling people to live as independently as possible alongside it. I’m a care home nurse because I care not just about fixing people but about helping them to live fulfilling, enriched lives every single day. It’s about deeper, ongoing relationships, and ultimately that’s what I – and the rest of the team here at Rockdale House - find so rewarding.”

Outside of Rockdale Annika spends time looking after her five children and niece, plus 5 cats, 7 ducks, 9 chickens, 2 rabbits and Bella the bulldog. She’s also the proud owner of joyously pink hair!

Gurminder is a natural-born carer - something the team at Rockdale noticed immediately, promoting her from ‘Senior Carer’ to ‘Head of Care’ within months of her arrival at Rockdale House. A band 7 nurse with 13 years’ experience in the care sector, Gurminder now leads our team of over 20 carers and is responsible for our residents’ wellbeing and the assessment of their needs. And if you can’t find her at lunchtimes it’s probably because she’s taken her lunch to eat with the residents, chatting and listening to all their stories!

Prior to Rockdale, Gurminder had already worked for another Sevenoaks care home and spent nine years at the Tunbridge Wells hospital, our local NHS hospital in Pembury. However, it was Gurminder’s husband who first pointed out that she was an instinctive carer for the elderly. This proved a lightbulb moment. Gurminder says; “It was as if everything clicked into place. From a young baby I was brought up by my grandparents, who I love dearly and have endless admiration for. And throughout my time on NHS wards the patients I always enjoyed caring for the most were the elderly. They have given so much, and I always feel it’s such a privilege to spend time with them, hearing their stories and picking up their pieces of wisdom.”

Gurminder set her heart on working at Rockdale. “What I love about Rockdale House specifically is its homely feel. I’m a homebody by nature. A cosy, comfortable home-life is so important to me, and that’s exactly what I feel Rockdale House provides for our residents. It’s not a care home. It’s a home.”

Outside of Rockdale, Gurminder loves to cook and to spend time in nature with her family.

“What do I love about my job…? Everything!”

Sally has worked as Rockdale House’s Catering Manager for 6 years and reckons she might just have the best job in the world. “I’m in charge of everything our residents eat. Food is so important. It’s a source of joy in people’s lives, as well as being so vital to health and wellbeing. I lead a 4-strong catering team that provide our residents with 3 meals a day (plus freshly-baked cakes), 365 days a year.”

Rockdale House’s menus change constantly and reflect the seasons, with fish from our Sevenoaks fishmonger and vegetables from our Orpington grocer. All dietary needs are catered for. Says Sally; “When residents move in we want them to feel as independent and empowered as possible, and that goes all the way through to the meals they can choose from. I speak to our residents every day about our menus, and every 8 weeks we have a ‘food committee’, when they tell me what dishes they fancy. Plus, once a month I let a resident come up with their idea for the Dish of the Day. My team then makes it, and if the other residents like it too it wins a more permanent place on the menu!”

Perennial favourites enjoyed by our residents include cottage pie, beer-battered fish and chips, and home-made pies - plus fresh fruit salads, crumbles, rice puddings and lemon drizzle cake.

Sally comes from a family of caterers and says feeding people good food is in her wiring. “Before Rockdale I spent 15 years working for The Priory. It was important to create intelligent menus that nurtured people in the ways they needed most. Some residents were suffering from illnesses or addiction, some had acquired brain injuries - but they all needed the right nourishment to help their recoveries.”

But Rockdale House proved the ultimate draw. “I’m so passionate about my work at Rockdale – not just the preparation of good, homely food, but also in nourishing our residents, body and soul! Too often elderly people are forgotten in society, which is such a waste for us all. My team and I don’t just feed our residents at Rockdale – we talk to them, listen to them, swap stories with them. A day will not pass without me sitting down with our residents and having a natter.”

As Facilities Manager, Tracy’s responsible for making sure that Rockdale House is always in perfect condition for our residents, whether that be ensuring the bedrooms and corridors are sparkling clean or checking that everyone’s light bulbs work! It’s the ideal role for Tracy who, by her own admission, can’t sit still. And when you combine this energy with her forensic eye for detail and huge love of cleaning you’ll understand why, although Tracy leads our team of 12 housekeepers and a caretaker, she’s always the first to roll up her sleeves and help out wherever she’s needed - whether that be sorting the laundry or painting a wall!

A former aircraft supervisor at RAF Brize Norton (where she was in charge of the teams who cleaned the aircraft and provided the catering), Tracy first started working in the care sector 25 years ago. Initially she looked after young adults with learning disabilities but eventually found herself gravitating towards working with the elderly. Part of the Rockdale family for thirteen years, Tracy joined us in 2012 , back when the current Rockdale House hadn’t yet been built!

Says Tracy: “I love working in support of the elderly, and I love working at Rockdale House. Above everything, Rockdale House is our residents’ home, and it’s my job to make sure they can enjoy each day snag, niggle and inconvenience-free.”

When Tracy’s not working (or cleaning!) she likes walking and spending time with her rescue dog, Bailey.