Middleton Hall Retirement Village

I was honoured and excited to be join the team at Middleton Hall Retirement Village as their Care Director on March 1st 2021. With this role, comes the opportunity to shape, develop and influence how Middleton Hall’s care services move forward and fully believe in the vision and values that have been established.

One of the exciting things is that this is a completely new role at Middleton Hall and I am planning to use my knowledge and experience to add value to the important services that we provide to our residents and families as well as our care teams.

Having initially qualified as a Registered Nurse, I have spent all my career predominantly in the private healthcare sector working with some local smaller companies, as well as larger national care providers. During this time, I have developed my managerial and leadership skills working in different roles within the sector, from Care Home Manager, Regional Director and Operations Director, before joining Middleton Hall.

As Care Director at Middleton Hall, I am responsible for providing clinical and some operational leadership and with the support of the Co-owner team, am focused on Middleton Hall being established as a provider of high-quality care and wellbeing and developing a motivated and engaged care services team.

In my spare time, I enjoy watching all types of sports, particularly rugby and trying to play a bit of golf. Read less

Debby joined Middleton Hall in 2000 and has seen the organisation grow and develop over the past 26 years. As Head of Care & Quality, her role has evolved alongside the services, with a continued focus on quality, staff development and, above all, the people who live at Middleton Hall.

A key part of her role is working with prospective residents and their families, as well as overseeing staff training, which has grown significantly over the years and now includes more face-to-face learning. Quality remains a priority for Debby, who says there is always “a new challenge or mountain to climb”.

Debby has enormous respect for the care teams at Middleton Hall and is particularly proud of the relationships they build with residents. She values the genuine bonds between staff and residents, and the way care teams get to know the people they support so well.

Her career in nursing began with a childhood ambition. Having wanted to be a nurse from around the age of five, Debby qualified in 1984 with First Class Honours. She went on to work in Accident and Emergency, coronary care and on an older people’s ward, before moving into private healthcare and occupational health. She later developed a passion for training and took on her first Matron’s position in Northallerton before moving to Middleton Hall.

During her career, Debby has gained particular expertise in dementia, nutrition and end-of-life care. She is especially proud of achieving a First Class Honours degree in Dementia Studies, with her daughters attending her graduation. She has also spoken on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour and at a nutrition conference in London.

More recently, Debby was delighted to receive the Senior Leader of the Year award at the Housing With Care Awards. After more than two decades at Middleton Hall, she remains passionate about her role and always looks ahead to “what’s next” – continuing to learn, develop and make a difference. Read less

Sheenagh first joined Middleton Hall in 2010, bringing with her a background in the hotel industry. She started as Head Housekeeper before taking on responsibility for the restaurant and the then coffee shop. She was also part of the team that planned, designed and opened the Orangery.

In 2014, Sheenagh moved into care, managing what was then known as Family Living. The pilot scheme helped Middleton Hall develop the approach that would eventually become Middleton Oaks. One of her proudest achievements has been seeing that vision come to life with the opening of Middleton Oaks.

Today, Sheenagh is Care Manager for Middleton Oaks, where her role has grown with the addition of the third house. The service now supports 24 residents with a team of more than 50 staff. Although her role is now more office-based, her favourite part of the day is spending quality time with the residents in her care.

She holds an NVQ Level 5 in Leadership and Management for Health and Social Care and is particularly proud of the experience she has gained throughout her career at Middleton Hall.

For Sheenagh, what makes Middleton Oaks special is its homely approach. Staff don't wear uniforms, helping them feel more like part of the family, while residents eat together around one table and are encouraged to use the home-style kitchen freely. The communal areas are also designed to feel welcoming rather than clinical.

She is particularly proud of the close relationships the team builds with residents and their families. With three staff supporting every eight residents, the team can quickly recognise individual needs and provide personalised support. The fact that Middleton Oaks is not a locked unit also gives residents a greater sense of freedom and control. The team is supported by Middleton Hall's Health and Wellbeing team, who provide meaningful activities and engagement for residents. Read less

Julie first started working at Middleton Hall as a teenager, working evenings and weekends in what is now one of Middleton Hall’s residential care services, Middleton Gardens. She quickly moved into a full-time carer role at 16 and gained experience across all services, particularly supporting more independent residents.

Over the years, she progressed to senior roles and became the first manager of Middleton Grove, a unique service created by Middleton Hall to offer independent supported retirement living. She also helped to launch the newly built Middleton Woods independent retirement apartments as Temporary Manager, helping residents settle in and connecting them with other services. Eventually, she returned to Middleton Gardens as Residential Manager, where she has now led the service for over 11 years.

During her career, she has completed NVQ levels 2–4, a Manager's Award and a Level 2 Counselling course. She has also piloted the Better Health initiative at Middleton Hall.

In her current role, she cares for 22 residents and manages 26 staff across days and nights. She oversees care assessments, support plans and the general running of the service, working closely with residents and their families. Every day is wonderfully different, and she aims to make each resident’s life fulfilling, whether that’s visiting their old village, enjoying a pub lunch, attending a family wedding, or anything else that brings them joy.

What she loves most about her role is the variety, the memorable moments with residents and staff and the opportunity to make each resident feel valued. Outside of work, she enjoys walking her dogs, reading and spending time with her grandchildren Read less

Joanne Watson has been part of Middleton Hall for most of her working life, joining at just 17 on a six-week work experience placement through the Job Centre. After being offered a permanent position, she began a career in care that now spans an incredible 43 years. Having briefly worked elsewhere, Joanne soon returned to Middleton Hall, where she has remained ever since.

Throughout her career, Joanne has achieved her NVQ Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications and completed training in the safe handling of medication. She has progressed through a number of roles, including Lead Carer and Deputy Manager, and now works as Acting Manager of Middleton Grove, overseeing the day-to-day running of the department.

For Joanne, the most rewarding part of her role is knowing that residents are safe, happy and receiving a high standard of care. She is particularly proud of her team and the compassion they show residents. She also values Middleton Hall’s unique retirement village setting, where residents can enjoy the facilities and community while accessing different levels of care as their needs change.

Away from work, Joanne lives with her husband and their two much-loved Dachshunds, Rosie and Katie. She enjoys walking them along the beach and through local parks, and is a proud mum of two and grandmother to six grandchildren.

After more than four decades at Middleton Hall, Joanne has countless treasured memories of the residents and colleagues she has worked with, and remains committed to making Middleton Grove a happy and caring place to live. Read less