Athelstan House

Dean started his career with The Orders of St John Care Trust in 2012.

Whilst working for the Trust, Dean has undertaken a variety of roles starting as a Kitchen Assistant before progressing through to a Carer, Care Leader, Head of Care and now a Home Manager.

Dean became Home Manager at Athelstan House in early 2022 and prior to that was Home Manager at Ridgeway House in Royal Wootton Bassett.

Before that, Dean worked at The Cedars in Purton as the Head of Care. Whilst there, he worked with the team to improve care standards and lead the team to achieve a 'Good' rating with the Care Quality Commission.

During his time with the Trust, Dean has worked at several of the Trust homes supporting and indeed achieving an 'Outstanding' CQC rating at one of these homes in February 2017.

In November 2019, Dean was awarded a Chairman’s Commendation Award for meritorious service.
He has completed a QCF Level 5 in Leadership and Management, including Levels 2 & 3 in Health and Social Care, complemented by the Level 3 QCF Dementia Award.

Dean is continually looking to enhance his knowledge and skills which he can then pass on to his team.

His ethos and vision are to ensure that residents living at Athelstan House experience a positive environment, with a team who are happy to develop opportunities and good relationships with the local community.

Lucy has worked in the care sector since the age of 18, starting her career as a Care Assistant. From this position, Lucy developed a real passion for the care of the elderly, gaining specific qualifications and experience in residential, nursing and dementia care.

Lucy has worked for OSJCT for 14 years, progressing into a Care Leader role, then Head of Care and is now one of two Deputy Managers at Athelstan House, taking a hands-on approach and being motivated by the happiness of the residents and the team.

Lucy strives to ensure each resident is able to live their life as they choose, having the support and care that they require. Within her role as Head of Care, Lucy supports and supervises the team to continually promote a person-centred approach.
When not working, Lucy enjoys practising her photography, baking celebration cakes and spending time with her young nieces.

Louise previously enjoyed a career in retail before moving into care.

She was the manager at H J Knee department store in Malmesbury before moving briefly to Gloucester and then returning to Malmesbury to begin her career in care.
She started out at another care home and after just one year became Shift Leader where she stayed another 18 months before moving to Athelstan House as Care Leader.

It was early in 2022 that she became Deputy Manager and aside from her care responsibilities in the residential households, Louise also enjoys managing the Athelstan House activities, team.

Louise enjoys finding solutions to any challenges and she loves helping residents and their families.
Outside of work, Louise has four children and in her spare time, enjoys outdoor activities and day trips with the family.

Pippa joined us in January 2021 and was drawn to OSJCT being a non-profit organisation having worked for private companies where she felt her values did not fit with their ethos.
She is passionate about providing quality palliative care and enjoys the challenges of wound care and pressure area prevention. She enjoys building relationships with residents, their families/friends and work colleagues to provide quality resident focussed care.
Her previous nursing experience was gained in Vancouver, Canada where she lived for 18 years and has brought with her important, extensive and valuable experience.
Family life is very important, she loves spending time outside walking, hiking, mountain biking when time and the weather permits.

Before starting at Athelstan House, Gail worked with children who had special needs but when the care home opened, she decided on a career change to expand her experience in a different area of care.

She enjoys running activities that make the residents happy and helping to make them smile. There are simply not enough hours in the day!

Rafa joined Athelstan House in late summer 2019 and has brought with him a wealth of experience from working in the catering industry.
He trained for four years at catering school in Poland and following this, he became Chef to the Major General of the Polish Army in Warsaw, planning and preparing parties and banquets for the General’s guests.
In 2007 he moved to the UK to work for the Compass Group as a chef at RAF Cranwell where he was responsible for all meals prepared in the kitchen, cooking for 100-300 customers. He managed menu planning, stock control and general supervision of the kitchen team.
More recently, he was Chef for Richmond Villages retirement communities.
In his spare time, Rafa enjoys playing tennis, gardening, music and of course cooking!

Tracy has 30 years' experience working in the warehousing sector, from meat to furniture. She is relatively new to the area and also decided that a different career direction was in order too.

Donna’s career in care started 20 years ago, beginning as a Care Assistant and then progressing to a Care Leader when she began working for OSJCT Athelstan House in 2019. Donna has gained NVQ Level 2 in Health and Social Care in 2006 and Level 3 in 2015. Donna is extremely passionate about her own professional development and sharing what she has learnt with others to ensure high standards of care to all our residents. Donna is currently undertaking a Level 4 Apprenticeship. In her role as Care Leader, Donna works in partnership with our residents, families, colleagues and healthcare professionals to ensure the residents are our main focus and that their diverse and complex needs are met daily.

Left to right; Lynn, Louisa, Karen, Caroline, Gail (Activities Co-ordinator), Jean and Issy.

Our volunteers play an essential role in supporting our residents and team on a regular basis.

Blessword started his career with The Orders of St John Care Trust in 2023. He is enthusiastic, and confident working as part of a team. Blessword started as a Carer and soon progressed to being a Care Leader. He is also a trainer for People Moving and Handling at Athelstan House, Malmesbury.

Before joining the Trust, Blessword worked as a Nursing Care Assistant for Highway Polyclinic and part-time Hospital Administrator at Multichoice Hospital in the Midlands of Zimbabwe for two and half years. He also worked as a part-time Ambulance Technician, Healthcare Assistant for NectaCare Family Private Clinics and for NSSA Workers Compensation Rehabilitation Centre which specialised in comprehensive clinical treatment, including therapeutic and skills training for injured workers to enable speedy re-integration into communities and work situations In Zimbabwe.

Blessword has been commended for his excellent interpersonal and communication skills. He holds a certificate in Systemic Counselling from the National University of Science & Technology Zimbabwe, trained by the Medical Laboratory Clinical & Scientist Council of Zimbabwe for HIV Testing & Counselling, holds a certificate in Emergency Medical Training & is registered with the Allied Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe as an Ambulance Technician.

With his passion and keen interest in learning, Blessword is currently studying for a Diploma in Social Adult Care to enhance his knowledge and Skills in the UK. He is also supporting other Trust homes across Wiltshire with training new members of staff and offering refresher training.

Peter has been with the Trust since 2019 and he looks after the non-care side of Hayward Care Centre e.g.
the catering, the housekeeping and the maintenance. He loves the friendly atmosphere in the home and that the team create a new phase of life for each of the residents, and new experiences for them.

Peter retired from the Army after 37 years of service and now loves to spend his spare time with his grandchildren, or fly-fishing.

Peter has been with the Trust since 2019 and he looks after the non-care side of Hayward Care Centre e.g. the catering, the housekeeping and the maintenance. He loves the friendly atmosphere in the home and that the team create a new phase of life for each of the residents, and new experiences for them.

Peter retired from the Army after 37 years of service and now loves to spend his spare time with his grandchildren, or fly-fishing.