Katherine House

Meet The Manager
Leanne Thorne is Cote Manager at Katherine House Rest Home.

I have worked in Social Care for 26 years and have a variety of experience in elderly/Dementia, learning disabilities and mental health settings. This included 15 years working for South Gloucestershire council in all their residential care home homes, five years at Frenchay House residential care home and working as a strategic manager for another Charity.

I trained as an NVQ Assessor to support staff gain their qualifications as well as working with a training provider delivering NVQs to care homes across the Southwest. I became a mental health champion to support staff and residents to understand their own mental health challenges.

I am a very nurturing manager and enjoy supporting staff to increase their skill set to enable career progression.

I have 35 years of experience working in different care settings specialising in mental health/psychology, dementia, and residential/nursing care of the elderly. My role is to provide support to the management of the home, delivering the highest standards of care/support that our residents deserve.
I manage an extensive training/assessment, and competency programme for staff to ensure they have the skills and knowledge to deliver exceptional care to the highest of standards. It is important to me that our residents receive the best quality of life through daily fulfilment, excellent care and services and a home where they feel valued, respected, empowered and treated as unique individuals with their own wishes and choices, creating a home from home environment.
I feel honoured and proud to work with such a compassionate, caring team, they do a wonderful job and I feel privileged to do this job

I am a Team Leader I have been a member of the team for more than 5 years. My job role includes amongst other things, the in-house Infection Prevention Control training, conducting fire drills and supporting the manager and the deputy in the day to day management of the homes. I love my job because it offers me opportunities to contribute solutions to the challenges that come with the job. I am a team player, have a calm disposition, and am dependable and passionate about what I do.

I have been a chef since I left school. I have enjoyed cooking since I can remember, learning at a young age from my mum.

I am passionate about bringing high-quality food for our residents to enjoy. I look forward to hearing the feedback at meal times and am always happy to try recommendations from residents.

I have met wonderful people since joining the team at Katherine House. It's a pleasure to work in the resident's homes and love coming to work.

I have been in the care sector for over 25 years working in various roles from Housekeeper to Administrator.

I found the administration role to be my favourite role so far!

I love talking to people and being involved in making a difference to the residents in our home in any way I can.

I have been working for Cote Charity Since April 2022 and have settled in well. The staff are warm and friendly and have truly welcomed me to the home.

I started hairdressing at Cote House, another part of the Cote Charity, in 1990 when one of my clients became a resident. Before I knew it, more and more residents were asking me to do their hair and since then I have been visiting every Wednesday.

I deliberately didn't go and see Katherine House while it was being built. I just wanted to see the end product. It is breathtaking - light and airy and so modern. The reception you get when you come in is lovely - everyone is so welcoming to anyone who walks through the door. There's a really special atmosphere and always so much going on for residents, which I also like to get involved in - I've even been known to dress up as Father Christmas!
I consider myself really lucky. I've been hairdressing for 37 years and my job is my hobby.