St Georges Nursing Home

Simon brings a lifetime of experience to his role as Registered Manager of St Georges. His interest in social care started at a young age when a good friend’s sister had complex disabilities; seeing the challenges faced by the family it sparked what would become a passion to work in the sector. Starting on the YTS scheme and over 30 years later Simon has worked with learning disabilities, those living with mental health conditions and for the past few years in residential and nursing homes. Progressing quickly to a management position means Simon not only has experience in care but also in managing a number of settings.

Simon feels strongly that life doesn’t stop just because the time has come to move into long-term care, in fact, it is very much the start of a new chapter. Simon is committed to ensuring residents are valued and respected with open lines of communication with all those associated with St Georges.

As a local living nearby Simon is keen to get involved with the community around the home. Outside of work Simon enjoys eating out and walking his cockapoo, Bayley.

Having qualified as a nurse in Romania, Emily moved to England in 2012 and worked in a nursing home as a senior care assistant until receiving her PIN number. This led to Emily quickly progressing her career and gaining invaluable experience working with older people. Emily progressed to Deputy Manager further adding to her clinical knowledge and leadership skills.

As Clinical Manager at St Georges Emily is looking forwarding to working with Simon again who she had worked with at a previous home. Together they are committed to continually enhancing the lives of the residents and developing the team at St Georges.

Emily has a 5 year old son and loves spending time with family. Emily and her husband enjoy an active lifestyle which includes regularly going to the gym.

Zoe moved into the care sector after many years working as a dental nurse. Driven by a desire to spread happiness and make people smile, her role as Head of Wellness and Lead Activities Co-ordinator for Allegra Care is immensely rewarding as it gives her a unique opportunity to enrich residents’ lives.

As well as informing her working methods, Zoe’s creative and musical interests occupy much of her leisure time. She also enjoys time with her family and long walks in the countryside with their dog.

Home Administrator Claire moved into the care sector as an administrator after a career as a PA for 20 years and then a Paralegal for 12 years. The role is a very varied one that encompasses Claire's experience and knowledge to ensure the smooth running of the home. Claire also enjoys meeting the residents and their families and is here to support the transition of moving into the home.

Claire loves living close to the sea and makes the most of her time off spending time with her family and travelling.

St Georges’ first point of contact for many, Debbie is most likely the voice you will hear when you phone and the friendly face you will first see when you visit. In her role as Receptionist, Debbie enjoys getting to know all residents, and their families and visiting healthcare professionals.

All visits are booked via Debbie and she will always make sure that anything dropped in for residents is promptly and safely delivered. St Georges’s reception is a busy place but, with Debbie’s calm and proficient organisational skills, everything runs smoothly.

Starting his career in rosette restaurants and hotels across the West Country, Richard went on to become a college lecturer in cookery and catering, a position in which he worked with people with complex needs.

Building on this experience, he then ran activities provisions for two autism centres operated by the National Autistic Society, roles which involved extensive cooking and nutrition demonstrations.

Working as Chef Team Leader at St Georges, Richard devises and cooks a variety of nutritious and appetising menus to meet all residents’ dietary needs. This resident-led approach is enhanced by informal feedback and resident meetings, as well as input from staff. Flexibility and adaptability are key to ensuring the provision of alternative options for residents.

Championing fresh, local produce, Richard and his team work closely with local suppliers to source the best quality, traceable ingredients. Enabled by St Georges’ household operational model, with individual kitchens shared by small household groups, Richard also organises and delivers live cooking demonstrations.

Paul has joined Allegra Care with 27 years’ experience in the health and social care sector, including working in senior leadership roles for the last 18 years, covering operations, business management and quality assurance. Paul has a real passion for person-centred care and how that is delivered at the highest level.

Paul has worked across a diverse sector over his time in health and social care and brings a wealth of experience to his new role as Regional Manager. Paul believes in integrating real and meaningful values and culture into a service and in doing so, delivering the outcomes for the people we support. Paul goes by the theory of values with no meaning, which has no value.

Outside of work, Paul is the father of three boys and a 2nd degree black belt who teaches Judo.

Catherine has worked in sales and marketing her whole career, after graduating with a degree in Textile Management she worked in Corporate Workwear for many years. Catherine’s first role in the care sector was working with a disability charity that ran nursing homes and enablement projects for young adults. While her two children were younger, she joined her husband in his estate agency, but was delighted to return to the care sector in 2020 and now cannot imagine doing anything else.

Catherine’s role with Allegra is to support residents and their families as they explore care options. Working with the teams in the individual homes she ensures that during every stage from initial enquiry through to moving in with us every question is answered, and we offer the reassurance needed for the next chapter in our resident’s life. It is important for our residents to remain part of the community in which will have lived for years, often all their lives, so the other part of this role is connecting with local community groups, charities and organisations.

Catherine has said that working for Allegra with their groundbreaking household model means we are offering a home with compassion and care whilst ensuring residents are retaining their independence and quality of life.

Out of work, Catherine enjoys baking, gardening and walking the family Labrador. The children are older now, but still keep her busy!