Charterhouse

Gail joined the Charterhouse team as the Care Home Manager in 2021. She is a registered general nurse with over 30 years’ experience and holds a level 5 diploma in management and leadership.

Gail completed her registered nurse training in the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh in 1988. She has worked primarily in elderly care throughout her career, in both hospital and community settings. Before moving into the private home care setting in 2009, she was a community palliative care sister for East Dorset Health Authority. Since working in the care home sector, Gail has worked in various care home manager roles, including regional roles.

She is passionate about enhancing the day-to-day experience for residents, gaining feedback from them about how their day was made better by staff’s interventions or by just seeing them smile. Being surrounded by positivity is what she feels makes her job worthwhile. The residents and their families are at the centre of everything that she does.

Gail is very much a people person who loves spending time with residents and their families. Her main passion is ensuring people's quality of life and believes that just because someone is approaching the latter years, they should be given every opportunity to live their lives the way they choose. She loves working in a large team, empowering employees to achieve their full potential and supporting them through their chosen career paths

Gail has a husband called Gary and three (almost) grown-up children, whom she is immensely proud of. She loves spending time with her family and friends, attempting to get fit and has a keen interest in photography. Read less

I joined the Charterhouse team in May 2023 as the Business Deputy Manager. I was previously an Administrator at The Russets, Sandford (another St Monica Trust site) for 2 years, before progressing to the position I am in now.

I feel grateful to have been given this opportunity and I absolutely love working at Charterhouse. I completed my Level 5 in Business Management during the period we had Covid-19 and the world was in lockdown, I wanted to use the time to achieve something I’ve never done before and really push myself to achieve great things. I am glad I did it as it helped me gain a lot of knowledge and gave me an insight into what might be possible for me in the future. It paid off as I am now happily using the skills I learned in my everyday role, and I couldn’t be more proud of myself for what I have achieved.

I love interacting with the residents on a daily basis, I love hearing their stories and they always know how to make me smile. Charterhouse is a very friendly environment and a great place to work.

I have a great understanding of the administrative duties that take place within Charterhouse and feel that I can really support the team as I have been where they are, and I think this has allowed me the smooth transition that took place from moving from another site. It is great that we have the opportunity to do this within St Monica Trust.

In my own time, I enjoy spending time with my husband who I married in September 2022, and our beautiful dog, who is a huge part of our lives. I enjoy going to the gym and travelling to new places to explore. My favourite quote that my Manager shared with me is “It’s not one day, it’s day one”, meaning start it now and see where it takes you, rather than waiting for things to happen. Read less

Clare joined St Monica Trust in 2017 and is the Social Deputy Care Home Manager at Charterhouse. She has around 27 years of experience working in social care settings in various positions and previously worked for Bristol City Council. Clare holds a level 5 qualification in adult care leadership and management and received an overall distinction.

With extensive knowledge of dementia care, Clare prides herself in creating an inclusive and nurturing environment for people to thrive and achieve their aspirations and goals. She also has a great passion for resident-centred care, always with the aim to enhance the experience and support her team to enable the residents to live their best life possible.

Clare lives with her partner Matt, their two daughters, and their dog Lenny. She is a sociable person who enjoys spending time with her family and friends and has a passion for travelling. Read less

I joined Charterhouse in April 2021 as a Care Assistant in the Avon unit, which cares for residents living with dementia. In June 2022 I moved up to the role of House Lead for the Avon unit, I am proud of this achievement and pleased to have the opportunity to do more for our residents.

I very much enjoy being part of this team and we see our residents as a family, always trying to find ways to enhance their experiences and day-to-day living. I love listening to their stories about life, family, and what they used to do as it helps me get to know the person inside and I am often very surprised at what they tell me! Read less

Activities play a huge part in keeping our residents stimulated, helping with their mental well-being and enriching their lives. I have seen this amongst our residents, particularly during lockdown, whether it be colouring, bingo or quizzes. Activities can provide many positive outcomes; they promote conversation between residents and staff, residents can relive previous experiences and can put a smile on their faces! It is important to make sure the activities provided are meaningful as residents are more likely to engage if it’s something they are interested in. A quote I love is ‘We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing’. Read less

I have been part of the Charterhouse family since 2019 and have had the privilege of working in a variety of roles across the home. My journey began as a Catering Assistant, before I progressed into a care role, becoming a Senior Carer and later a Team Lead for our Resident Support Assistants. I am currently undertaking a secondment opportunity as Business Deputy Manager.

I am incredibly proud of my career journey at Charterhouse and of the support I have been able to provide to our residents throughout my different roles. Working across several departments has given me a strong understanding of the many teams that make Charterhouse such a special place.

What I love most about Charterhouse is the sense of community. It truly feels like a home away from home, and I am proud to be part of a dedicated team that works to enhance the experience, well-being, and quality of life of our residents every day.

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my son and watching him grow. I also like to keep active and make the most of the outdoors. Read less

I joined Charterhouse in October 2022 as a Senior Care Assistant on Chew, the residential unit. In December 2025, I completed a three-month secondment as House Lead, during which I further developed my skills, knowledge, and confidence in the role. Following this secondment, I was delighted to be appointed permanently as House Lead. I am very proud of this achievement, grateful for the opportunity, and thoroughly enjoy working at Charterhouse.

I enjoy being part of a supportive team, where we work together. I also greatly value spending meaningful time with residents, engaging in conversations about their families, life experiences, childhood memories, and looking at photographs from their past. Building these relationships is important to me, as it allows me to understand each resident as an individual while also giving them the opportunity to get to know me. Read less