Princess Christian Care Centre

"Hi, I’m Mario Taherian and I’m the Registered General Manager of Princess Christian Care Home in Surrey. Working as a Home Manager for several years I can understand that it can be very difficult choosing the right Care Home for your loved one. If you are looking for a Care Home place in our area, I would recommend you visit us at Princess Christian Care Home before making a decision. You will get to know the quality of our team, our services and see the range of daily activities we provide for our residents, which are tailored to their interests and hobbies. Our goal is to provide a ‘happy home’ for all of our residents, which means making sure everyone feels as independent as possible in a warm, homely environment. At Princess Christian, we recognise each person as an individual with their own unique set of experiences and values.

Princess Christian Care Home is one of the largest and most popular of its kind in Surrey – caring for the elderly and for people with a diagnosis of Dementia. Situated in the beautiful village of Bisley, near Woking, the Care Home is well known for its achievements and pioneering commitment to Dementia Care. We have achieved Investors in People (Gold) and we are accredited by the Gold Standards Framework – an acknowledgement of the expertise of our superior End of Life Care services.

Princess Christian is a 92-bed Nursing and Residential Home and it has a history of almost 100 years as a Care Home – formerly as a Home for elderly war veterans. This home was rebuilt in 2009 to look identical from the outside, but to modern building specifications. The interiors have been transformed into purpose-built facilities for residents with Dementia or related illnesses. Each of our bedrooms has en-suite facilities, optional flat screen TVs and telephone points. There are several lounge areas, two large conservatories, two dining rooms and one large fully functioning restaurant style dining area within the building. We also have an onsite Hair Salon, a Cinema Room, a Sensory Room, comprehensive personal care facilities and landscaped secure grounds.

For the convenience of managing a large home, we have three independently managed units – each of which is led by a Senior or Lead Nurse. Princess Christian always has a minimum of three qualified Registered Nurses on duty 24-hours a day, supported by three unit managers, one deputy manager and myself. All our staff members are competent in delivering the highest quality care from a person-centred approach, according to each person’s likes and preferences. We also have the service of a chartered physiotherapist available to consult regarding your loved one’s mobility or functional issues.

I have to say that I am currently leading the most amazing team of staff at Princess Christian. They truly know about connecting to people. They want to enrich the lives of our residents by reminding the rest of the community that Care Homes are filled with unique, intelligent and charming people, and run by staff who really value their job. They all are keen in upholding our values – caring, compassion, communication, competence, commitment and courage.

We love to involve family and friends and listen to their views on their loved ones’ care and on the day-to-day running of the Home. This is the reason why we have “Friends of Princess Christian” (FOPC), which is a voluntary, not-for-profit organisation designed to bring relatives, residents and staff at Princess Christian Care Home together. We meet regularly and talk about how to make positive changes in the Home, continually contributing towards enriching the lives of its residents. FOPC meets once a month to discuss anything related to the Care Home or its services. This also provides an opportunity for us to build a larger community around our residents so that they don’t feel segregated from the rest of the world.

I can’t wait to meet you and show you how proud our residents feel when they actually sit for these meetings and have their say on the day-to-day running of the Home. We also organise regular social events, fundraising events to support charities and educational sessions etc. to which residents, their friends and family are welcome at any time.

In our restaurant, you will be able book in advance to dine together with your loved one as a family, or on special occasions, and you will be treated with delicious homemade food.

We are keen to welcome all who are interested – please consider visiting the Home in person. Spend time talking to staff members, managers and residents. Enjoy a tour of the wonderful Home and its surroundings. Fancy staying for lunch? Even consider working for us or have time for volunteering at Princess Christian Care Home?"

Since joining Princess Christian in 2010 as a Senior Registered Nurse, Nisha has progressed to the role of Home Manager, responsible for overseeing the clinical management of the Home. Holding a Postgraduate Diploma in Dementia Studies, Nisha won the Regional Great British Care Award for Frontline Leader in 2021 and was awarded the prestigious title of Queen's Nurse in 2023. A strong advocate for safe, high quality person-centred care, Nisha ensures all team members are highly trained, and she leads by example while continuously sharing best practises for care planning, record making, maintaining standards, and quality and compliance. Enjoying its diversity and complexity, creating a positive and supportive work environment is another key aspect Nisha’s role, and she finds it rewarding to empower her team and witness their professional growth.

Beth has been a part of the Nellsar family since 2011, when joining the team at Princess Christian as Deputy Manager, until 2018. Returning in 2022, Beth assumed the role of Quality and Compliance Manager. Beth is very passionate about promoting excellent care for our residents and she is responsible for quality assurance and compliance strategies that ensure exceptional service quality, governance, and compliance. Inspired by collaboration with other teams in our Homes, Beth is driven to consistently improve the services we offer, monitoring progress and promoting positive change.

Sona started her career as a Nellsar trained OSCE Nurse, and she is delighted to have progressed to Unit Manager with the support of the management team at Princess Christian. Sona truly enjoys her role and is passionate about working directly with our residents and their families, contributing to improving their everyday lives. Sona is dedicated to ensuring that our residents’ care needs are met to the highest standards, with professionalism, compassion, and respect. Sona is also committed to fostering a positive work culture, encouraging teamwork, and ensuring that each day is as fulfilling and productive as possible; her responsibilities include supervising and mentoring junior nurses and team members, in her role as a practice supervisor. Leading the delivery of clinical care, Sona is proud to have successfully completed the Lead to Succeed course, further enhancing her leadership skills, and she takes pride in being a member of the National Tissue Viability Team.

"My name is Cosmin Cristea and I work as a the Head Chef here at Princess Christian. Having started working at the Home in 2015, I first began working as a Kitchen Assistant, and progressed to Chef Assistant, then Chef, before being promoted to Head Chef.

I have completed many training programmes over the years including an NVG Intermediate Level Apprenticeship in Food Production and Cooking, Level 3 Supervising Food Safety in Catering, and all the required in-house training courses for my catering roles. I started a Level 5 Management course and I look forward to resuming the training soon, having been interrupted as a result of the pandemic.

What I most enjoy about my job as Head Chef is having the opportunity to cook for our residents and guests; seeing the satisfaction on everyone's faces really makes me happy. Cooking and baking has become my number one passion which encourages me to carry on and develop and learn new flavours and recipes.

Working very closely with my team, I have seen many positive changes take place over the years. Many members of the Catering Team have started to develop, including enrolling onto NVQ and Nutrition Curses. The knowledge we have now, working as a team, is reflected in the quality of our residents' meals. We've achieved a five-star food hygiene rating, we consistently create new menus, and we are proficient at creating menus for residents with special dietary requirements.

Our Head of Catering, Adrian Silaghi, has been a great support to me since I began working at Princess Christian back in 2015. He has always believed in me and has been a great help. Our Registered General Manager, Mario Taherian, has also consistently encouraged and supported myself and the Catering Team in new ideas and projects. 

I am very proud of myself for having achieved so much in my time at Princess Christian – my professional qualifications and the recognition from our residents that they enjoy the food we prepare for them. I am also proud of my “Cooking with Chef Cosmin Club" where, together with residents, we cook together every Friday. They love to share stories and memories about cooking at home, and they enjoy sharing recipes with me. Working closely with our Activities Team, "Cooking with Cosmin" has become something we all look forward to and that brings me great joy.

Working with my wonderful Kitchen Team is a privilege. They are very keen and open to learning new skills; they trust and follow me with an open mind, whilst also developing their knowledge.

My future aspirations include restarting my Management NYQ, and elevating our catering provision to a whole new level with new menus, and new puréed, minced and moist options for our residents with special requirements.

The best aspect of working as part of such a great team at Princess Christian is having the opportunity to make a difference to a person's life. Being able to bring a smile to someone's face, and to work in a collective with so many different cultures, traditions backgrounds, makes for a very interesting work life. There is a lot to discover and learn from each other if we are open to listening and sharing our knowledge."

Cristian first began working at Princess Christian as a Kitchen Assistant in 2018; with the support of his colleagues and Home Manager, he has progressed to Head of Hospitality with a wealth of qualifications including Level 3 Senior Production Chef. Consistently optimising food service, quality, compliance and customer satisfaction are at the heart of Cristian’s role and he supports his team to develop their skills with regular training. Cristian manages the Dining Team and excellent food service across the three restaurants at Princess Christian, ensuring the highest quality, taste and dining experience throughout. Cristian takes great pride in his work and cites regular feedback from residents, visitors and team members, as the key to his job satisfaction and maintaining the Home’s outstanding catering standards.

Christine began working at Princess Christine in 2014 as a part-time Activities Coordinator in one of the Home’s units, along with two other staff. Having completed her Level 3 NVQ in Leadership, Christine is now Head of Activities for the whole Home and has completed various training schemes including ‘Ladder to the Moon’, Namaste and ‘Daily Sparkle’.

Christine feels lucky to work in a role that is so rewarding and it brings her a lot of joy and satisfaction. Christine has grown the Activities staff team to eight people, receiving regular feedback about the wonderful person-centred care they provide to their residents; “Princess Christian is my home from home. I work with some amazing people and adore each and every one of our residents.”

Christine feels proud that the Home’s charitable group ‘Friends of Princess Christian’ has also gained more members, involving residents, staff and family members to have their say on upcoming events or fundraising ideas; She takes pleasure in witnessing improvements across all areas of the Home.

Citing her greatest achievements as completing her NVQ and being shortlisted for the Surrey Care Awards and the South East Care awards, Christine classes being able to engage with residents and make them happy every day as ‘the best achievement of all’.

Working as Activities Lead, Carol joined the team at Princess Christian in 2019. Working alongside Christine, Carol's responsibilities include providing person-centred care that improves our residents' physical and mental well-being. Carol looks forward to coming in to work everyday and enjoys getting to know all our residents and their families; she loves to make residents happy.

"I joined the team at Princess Christian in February 2016, and I was very happy with this opportunity. Having started as a Carer, I am now a Senior Carer and I love the work I do! I hope that all my training and experience can be useful to all the beginners who join our team.

During my time here, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to finish my NVQ Level 2; I have now started to work towards my Level 3 and I am also part of the Dementia Champions programme. I feel very supported in developing my skills.
  
Every day for me is a happy experience with my family. I’m very proud to be part of the team and working at Princess Christian. I feel the management team is very supportive and always flexible."

Martin joined the team at Princess Christian Care Home in 2022 after 27 years working in Facilities Management for the Civil Service. Martin’s responsibilities include ensuring that he and his team continuously provide a safe and comfortable Home for our residents and team members through strategic planning, reactive repairs, and CQC statutory and mandatory compliance. Martin takes great pride in his work and the leadership of his team, knowing that residents are being well looked after and enjoying themselves throughout their later years of life.

I am Leo Mathew, a Chartered Physiotherapist working in Princess Christian Care Centre (Nellsar Ltd) in Knaphill, Woking. After completing my Bachelor’s degree in Physiotherapy from India in 1999, I began my career in different hospitals in India with neuro-rehabilitation as my primary area of interest. I have also achieved a postgraduate certificate in Neurorehabilitation from Brunel University, West London, in 2010.

My links with the Care Home began in 2010 when my wife Nisha started her career with Nellsar. Since then, I was a visiting Therapist providing my service to the care home residents privately. It was only in 2013; Mario Taherian (Registered Manager of Princess Christian Care Centre) invited me to join Princess Christian as a member of staff.

My decision to work with elderly has changed my perception of these fascinating human beings. At Princess Christian, I am very passionate about listening to these people, hearing their stories, and helping them in improving their level of independence as a person. I have learned a lot in the last few years through training but a lot more from interacting with our residents and listening to their life stories. Quite often I am surprised to see the rather young minds in many of our older residents. Their aspirations to regain their lost abilities are vigorous and can be turned into something that can progressively contribute to their well-being. I am also sad when these people are denied their opportunities for improving their quality of life by classifying them as a low prognostic category.

I am also a firm advocate for the need for community involvement in Care Homes and also work hard to help these peoples to regain their lost personhood. I wish to see a Care Home as a community, where quality of life for everyone in the community – staff, family, friends and residents – is valued. Everyone in a Care Home needs to have a sense of security, sense of continuity, sense of belonging, sense of purpose, sense of achievement and sense of significance (called the ‘Six Senses Framework’, developed by Professor Mike Nolan and colleagues at the University of Sheffield). Nurturing these ‘senses’ for residents, their families and staff is a vital part of improving care practice.

I am passionate about developing my career in elderly care and I am hugely ambitious about my future with Nellsar.

RESIDENTS’ COMMENTS:

Louisa Power (Resident and patient)
“I have known Leo for some time now. He is a physiotherapist who is very good and extremely helpful. He likes to keep in touch with everyone, all the time; so that he knows how things are going for each of them. Spending time with him is calming and helpful with all the problems for people like me in our old ages.”

Penuel Lincoln (Resident and patient)
“Leo is very understanding and kind. I believe that if anyone can help me to walk, it is him. Kind words and compassionate treatment is his style. He motivates and supports me with my hopes for walking again.”

Bernard Primarolo (Resident)
“He is a perfect man with a very kind and professional approach towards his patients. He knows how to motivate his clients and make them work towards set goals.”

Mario Taherian (Home Manager)
“I am delighted at being asked to write few lines about our Physiotherapist, Leo Mathew, as I am only full of praises for his in both professional and personal capacity. He has always been a very motivated person and has been quite keen to support me and our home. Leo plays a crucial role in our team. He has integrated very well into our management team, and I have very much pleasure to work with him at Princess Christian Care Centre.

“Leo’s approach with residents has been very professional and dignified. Leo can maintain excellent relationships with everyone he has worked with and can easily integrate with any team without difficulty. He is very good in his subject knowledge and always had been keen to learn new things. Leo’s communication skills are excellent and have got high capacity in networking.

“At a personal level, Leo is a well-disciplined, calm, positive, friendly and caring person with a pleasant personality.”