Westbourne Tower Care Home - Avery Collection

I am truly passionate about my role and believe in what we do. Our residents are our teachers and their stories inspire me. We are lucky to have a brilliant and experienced team who always go above and beyond to make sure that the specific needs of every resident are undertaken every day. It's a lovely place to work and a great place to call home.

I have been working in Westbourne Tower Care Home for over 15 years. I have progressed throughout the company from Care Assistant to Lead Care to Reminiscence Coordinator and now Deputy Manager. I am very proud to lead a team, many of whom have been long-service team members, who constantly provide quality care whilst keeping our core values at the forefront of everything we do.

Working at Westbourne is a privilege and we are lucky to support our residents and each other every day.

I have been here since it opened in 2006. I can’t believe how time has flown by. Although I already had the skill set I was working as a Bank Chef alongside my own business and was asked to take on the managerial role which was an easy transition. I trained and worked in London, Morocco, France and Italy before returning to the UK and settling in Bournemouth. My food specialities are multicultural and the residents love it when I do theme days. I have been a major part of this home being awarded CQC Outstanding, the CQC assessor loved my secret ingredient “ a bit of love”. I run a monthly Dining Committee where residents can influence what is on the menu, likes and dislikes and I love nothing more than walking around the dining room on a daily basis to ensure their wishes have been followed. I like to surprise residents with their favourite dishes, for special occasions. I have to say I love my job and my residents make me smile every day. I am proud to say I work here.

I am delighted to have been recently appointed for this important role, in delivering a varied, stimulating and educational programme for our residents. I like to think outside the box and ongoing feedback from our residents, it enables my talented activity team to deliver, along with our team of amazing volunteers. I bring to the role my experience of managing teams, Interior Design, Floristry, Art, and Teaching and I even played table tennis for Wales! I am inspired by talking to our residents and finding out what they enjoy and what makes them smile, whether that's an entertainer, Tai Chi, Music Therapy, Camera or Theatre Club or 1 to 1 person-centred activities. 110% is put into everything we do here.

I have worked here since 2006, and the things that have remained constant throughout that time are the love, dedication and unfaltering kindness my colleagues deliver every day. No two days are the same; there is always something going on which makes you smile and our residents become part of our extended family. We are committed to filling their days with happy moments.

My role is to market our home and welcome new residents into it, dealing with professionals and family members. Making a significant decision at a critical time is made easy when we have a beautiful product, lovely food, a great activities programme (including minibus outings) and caring staff, all coupled with happy appreciative residents and family members, this is borne out by our positive carehome.co.uk reviews.

I have worked in the care sector since 2012, predominantly in dedicated dementia homes. I have been in co-ordinating positions since 2016. I am currently studying to become a Nursing Associate and my ultimate goal is to become a Registered Nurse. I am passionate about person-centred care and ensuring that our residents live their lives as well as they wish, always upholding their wishes and preferences.

In my personal life, I am married and live in Southbourne. I love the beach, especially in the autumn. In my spare time, I love to read criminal and mystery books and take walks down the beach. I am also an unashamed Harry Potter fan.