St Faith's Nursing & Residential Home

Teresa became home manager of St Faith’s in August 2018 after 4 years as deputy manager and 5 years as head nurse.

Teresa qualified as a nurse 43 years ago and specialised early in her career in the ‘care of the older person’. When she joined Lilian Faithfull Care in 2001, she already had 10 years of experience as a home manager, but took the opportunity to go back to a hands-on nursing role. However, she quickly took on extra responsibilities, which set her on the path to her present position.

In her role as home manager, Teresa is proud to be “leading a team which provides person-centred care to the most vulnerable in our society”. Teresa has an ‘open door policy’ ensuring she is always available for residents, families and staff. She explains, “Although St Faith’s is a large nursing home, all the staff here are on first name terms. Our staff structure means that everyone is supported and there is always someone to talk to.” Teresa and her team work closely with families keeping them involved in the care of their loved ones and ensuring lines of communication are always kept open.

Teresa is an avid reader and enjoys her family time with her four grandchildren and two daughters, who have both followed in their mother’s footsteps into the social care sector.

Pauline Okposi is the Clinical Lead Nurse at St Faith’s Nursing & Residential Home in Cheltenham, bringing with her over two decades of dedication, resilience and professional growth.

She began her journey with the organisation in 2002, having moved to the UK from Kenya, where she originally trained as a chef. Determined to pursue a career in care, Pauline worked her way from a cleaning role into care work before completing her NVQ Level 2, Access to Nursing, and ultimately qualifying as a nurse through the University of the West of England, Bristol.

Alongside her role at St Faith’s, Pauline spent 14 years working at the Oncology Centre at Cheltenham General Hospital, gaining invaluable clinical experience, including palliative and end-of-life care. In 2018, she stepped into her current position as Clinical Lead Nurse, where she now balances hands-on clinical care with leadership, training and administrative responsibilities.

Her role includes overseeing care plans and assessments, supporting new admissions, leading on clinical standards, and working closely with GPs and multidisciplinary teams to ensure residents receive the highest quality, person-centred care.

Pauline is also deeply passionate about education and development. With teaching and assessing qualifications, she supports student nurses, paramedics and medical students on placement, contributes to staff training, and delivers sessions on areas such as end-of-life care, infection control, diabetes care, and medication management. She has developed internal resources, including student handbooks, care planning frameworks and staff competencies, and is committed to continually updating her own knowledge, having also completed a Master’s degree in Nursing.

Known for her compassionate and hands-on approach, Pauline is always willing to step in wherever needed, supporting both residents and colleagues alike. She takes pride in building strong relationships with families, keeping them informed and involved in their loved one’s care. Outside of work, Pauline enjoys reading, writing, music, hairdressing, and cooking, and values the sense of purpose and fulfilment her role brings to her life.