BARCHESTER - Key Persons
Alice joined the West Oak family in March as the Head of Unit for Cedars. Alice is an RGN with many years of experience in the care home industry.
Alice is passionate about the residents and she ensures that they receive the highest possible standard of care so that they can live their lives to the fullest.
Job Titles:
- Head Chef at Bluebell Park
Angela has worked at Bluebell Park Care Home as a chef for 7 years and recently made use of the skills she has learned in her career to benefit the younger generation too.
Hi, my name is Tony and I am the Head Of Maintenance here at West Oak Barchester.
After serving 15 years in the military I decide it was time to take on a new challenge and to leave the Armed forces. Since leaving 4-5 years ago I have found a very rewarding role in assisting those who need our support.
Job Titles:
- Ambassador
- Representative
- Resident
Bill Brand lives at The Manor Care Home in Taunton. Bill has been living at The Manor since 2014 and, soon after, became Barchester's very first Resident Ambassador - a role that allows him to be a voice for other people who live in the home.
Bill was born and grew up in Tottenham, right next to Tottenham Hotspur football ground, and moved to the county of Somerset in 1989, where he worked at Butlins. In 2007, he was taken ill and moved into a care home.
"My role as Resident Ambassador is a newly created role in the company. I am proud to represent The Manor and the company. I am a voice for the residents in the home and meet with the General Manager on a weekly basis to suggest improvements and services that we would like to see."
Bill's main responsibilities include showing potential residents and their families around the home when they stop by for a visit. Bill is also a friendly and familiar face for other residents who might find moving into a care to be a challenging transition. He is dedicated to improving the services and facilities at the home for others and is constantly thinking up creative ways to make The Manor a place of excellence.
This isn't the first time that Bill has been a representative for a care home. In 2007, when he first went into care, he was appointed as the home service users' representative and had a seat on their regional and national committee for 7 years.
It's not all business for Bill though; he is a big football fan and supports Tottenham Hotspurs (as you've probably already guessed). He also enjoys collecting limited edition cars, trucks and other vehicles, and loves watching comedy shows, such as Only Fools and Horses, Ronnie Barker and Dad's Army - and Steven Segal for some action.
David Russell lives at Barchester's Kingsland House, a home which cares for people with a range of care needs, including those living with dementia.
David has been a keen gardener ever since his youth, when he was growing up on a farm in the South West with his parents and brother.
He later took up a career in the railway industry, driving trains and engineering. However, gardening remained a favourite pastime and one which he was very skilled at - three of his allotments were award-winning.
David moved into Kingsland House Care Home after suffering a stroke, which has caused paralysis in parts of his body. As he is no longer able to use one of his arms, daily tasks that most people take for granted have become extremely difficult for him.
Despite all of this, he hasn't stopped gardening.
David helps keep the garden at Kingsland House looking its best for everyone else to enjoy. You'll often find him outside in his trademark lilac cowboy hat, watering flowers and tending to vegetables for the home's chef to use in tasty home-cooked dishes.
When Kingsland House decided to create a sensory garden for residents living with dementia, he helped bring the idea to life. He was able to share his knowledge of gardening with the home's staff and other residents who were involved. Even though he couldn't dig up the soil himself, he pointed to where plants should be placed and guided staff and other residents on how deep to place the seeds.
His input has helped establish and maintain a much-loved space that is full of stimulating scents, vibrant colours and home-made decorations.
There are amazing people living in Barchester homes who refuse to let disability or age prevent them from pursuing the hobbies and interests they have always enjoyed.
David Russell lives at Barchester's Kingsland House, a home which cares for people with a range of care needs, including those living with dementia.
David has been a keen gardener ever since his youth, when he was growing up on a farm in the South West with his parents and brother.
He later took up a career in the railway industry, driving trains and engineering. However, gardening remained a favourite pastime and one which he was very skilled at - three of his allotments were award-winning.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Contributor
Dr Pete Calveley, CEO of Barchester Healthcare has worked in the care industry for over 25 years and is passionate about delivering great care to residents and patients, ensuring families are supported and staff feel valued. His background has always been in health, having studied at Leeds University, where he trained as a doctor in medicine and then went on to work as a GP for 20 years.
After joining Barchester Healthcare in 2014, Pete's focus on person-centred care and his keen eye for detail has meant Barchester's CQC Good and Outstanding ratings have increased from 40% to their current 82.7%. As well as CEO, he has also taken on the role of Chief Operating Officer at Barchester, making his role more fundamental to the day to day running of all Barchester services.
Pete strongly believes that it's the people in Barchester who are fundamental to the delivery of great care and is often seen visiting our care homes and hospitals listening to staff to understand how he can support them in delivering the best care for residents and patients. Under his leadership, Barchester has been accredited with a 2 Star Outstanding rating in the Best Companies survey and is listed 11th in the Top 20 Best Health & Social Care Companies to work for, the highest-placed large care home company. The company has been named within the Top 20 Large Care Home Groups 2020 on carehome.co.uk for the 7th consecutive year.
These excellent results are driven by Pete's passion for delivering the best care for his residents and patients, ensuring staff are well trained, supported and providing the best environment for both residents and staff to thrive. Totally committed to the safety of his residents and patients, Pete was hugely influential throughout the Covid crisis. He was named Influencer of the Year 2021 by RoSPA - this prestigious title is awarded to those who have made the biggest impact in health and safety either at work or in the community in the past 12 months. Pete has been voted Outstanding Leader in the Health Investor Power 50 for the last 2 years.
Pete is a regular contributor to major conferences, industry events and advisory panels in the healthcare sector. He believes strongly in an industry which safeguards individuals and delivers high quality service and care for customers.
Dr Pete Calveley joined Barchester Healthcare as the Chief Executive Officer in June 2014. Formerly CEO of Four Seasons Health Care, he has extensive knowledge and understanding of the care sector. Earlier in his career, he was a police surgeon and worked for a long time as a GP in various NHS organisations.
Dr Pete Calveley said: "I am proud to be leading Barchester Healthcare. I am committed to providing the highest quality of life for those residents living with us and support for their families. I believe that through continued investment in staff, adapting to increased residents' needs and working closely with stakeholders, Barchester's personalised approach to care will help us lead the way in continuing to achieve excellence in the social care sector."
Welcome to West Oak. I am Hayley, and I am the administrator assistant. I am originally from South Africa and joined West oak in March 2022. Previously I was a support worker and also a hairdresser. My personal mission statement is to do my best to promote kindness.
My name is Ioan, and I am the administrator of West Oak Care Home. Attitude makes the difference the motto that leads my way of life. Entrusted by this belief, I have decided to develop my professional skills and, as a result, I have completed a business management program.
My previous work experiences revealed a responsible person with a natural ability to adapt to new teams and develop trustful relationships. Willing to move on to the next chapter of my professional growth and eager to add new skills, I joined Barchester at the beginning of September. I am pleased to see the amount of hard work done by the entire team and company, and I am proud to be a part of this.
Job Titles:
- Care Practitioner at Dudwell St Mary
Julie came to the UK from the Philippines in September 2006 to begin working in a Barchester care home. Moving to the UK was something she had wanted to do for a long time and finally, at the age of 50, she had managed it.
In order to make the move she had accepted a job as a carer, despite having worked as a Supervisor Nurse in the Philippines for over 20 years. She admits to having felt demoralised knowing that she wouldn't be able to use all the skills she had learned throughout her nursing career, but came to the conclusion that ‘caring is caring' and was glad of the opportunity to move to the UK at a time when she was beginning to worry she was too old to get any work here at all.
Julie's expertise in nursing and caring meant that from the start she was a huge help to other staff members at Dudwell St Mary Care Home. Everyone knows that she had been a nurse for many years and for the new nurses in particular, she has been a great support to have around.
When Barchester introduced the Care Practitioner role, it seemed obvious to the home's manager that Julie should be put onto the training programme so that she could take on this new role and offer the nurses even more help.
Yet for Julie, who is now 60 years old, the decision wasn't so straight forward.
"I didn't want to do it at first. I had just lost interest.
"But I saw how I can help the nurses I work with. I also saw that the scope of the Care Practitioners and the nurses is not too different. My manager was very encouraging and said it's an opportunity and I have a background in nursing."
Julie is glad that she took this step and says she ‘feels like a nurse now'. It has returned some of her enthusiasm and given her confidence in her ability to continue learning.
She said: "I had lost interest in nursing but now I'm coming back to it. I'm taking everything step by step as there is a lot to learn and a lot to adapt to.
"The Care Practitioner course has helped. I started the Care Practitioner course in 2014 and I'm about to finish. A lot of it I already know but the documentation is new for me. Like the care plans, legality etc. I'm used to doing it now. Techniques are changing so the training is also bringing me up to date."
While she is still yet to do her mentoring and coaching module, it's clear that she is already a role model for younger staff members and she has a clear message for them: "I would say to younger colleagues - don't just stay on this level. If there are steps to take to progress, do it. Grab the opportunities."
Job Titles:
- Head Chef
- Chef of the Year 2016
- Head Chef at South View
Kevin Smith, Head Chef at South View, is amazing at what he does but he would be the first to admit that when he left the army and started working at a care unit for people with complex care needs he didn't think he was up to the challenge.
"When I first started I literally thought, ‘I can't do it'. People knew I had been cooking for 20 odd years in the army and thought I was this top chef but actually I found it really hard.
Liviu qualified in 2004 and worked for two years in an emergency unit before doing 11 years as a paramedic.
More recently, Liviu has had senior roles in both Austen House (our sister home) and West Oak.
Liviu is often on the floor engaging with our wonderful residents and staff and ensuring smooth and proper handovers between staff every day.
Melanie Cooper is a lay minister from Ashford House Care Centre's neighbouring Church of England Parish. Having previously worked as a nurse for many years, Melanie visits the care home every Friday to give communion to those residents who wish to take it.
A regular fixture, Melanie is always a welcoming face and even says: "I'm here at the Ashford house so much it's as if I've become one of the staff."
Now Melanie has gone even further to help improve the lives of the people living at Ashford House - and has used her knitting skills to do it.
Her latest project came about after seeing the activities team ordering twiddle cushions and twiddle muffs from a catalogue, which are knitted items designed to stimulate people living with dementia.
Mohammad has worked at West Oak since 2014. He was promoted to Head Housekeeper in 2020 and was proud to accept the role.
Mohammad is very dedicated to his work and understands the importance of maintaining the high standards of cleanliness within the home. Mohammed is very approachable and goes the extra mile to help both Residents and Staff in any way he can
Job Titles:
- First Member of Staff in the History
Nathan Kidd - How is this for a career journey?
Nathan started working as a contract gardener at the Warren Care Home in spring 2005 and in 2007 he had joined the home on a permanent basis as part of the maintenance team. By 2008 Nathan had extended his position to the dual role of Maintenance Manager and Home Trainer. However, he didn't stop there and in 2011 he joined the Barchester Health and Safety support team and was then offered a promotion into the Regional Maintenance team in 2012.
To support his career development over the years, Nathan completed the following courses:
Legionella and PAT testing
C&G 7300
C&G 7303
An apprenticeship in Team Leading
Seven-day electrical course
IOSH Managing Safely
Nathan is also the first member of staff in the history of our company to receive two separate awards at our annual Barchester Care Awards. In 2009, Nathan's tireless work earned him the crown of Home Trainer of the Year and in 2012, Nathan then went on to win Maintenance Champion of the Year!
Job Titles:
- Activities Coordinator at Highfield Care Home
Richard Sweeting is an Activities Coordinator at Highfield Care Home in Tadcaster, where he works hard to help every single resident lead a full and active lifestyle, treating each person as if they were a member of his own family. He's also Chairman of the local council and is using this role to drive a unique initiative to make Selby the first ‘dementia friendly' district in the UK. This initiative was kick-started last year when Richard made arrangements for one of Barchester's Dementia Care Specialists to provide training sessions to members of the Selby District Council.
Job Titles:
- Care Practitioner at the Manor Care Home
Sharon was the first staff member at The Manor Care Home in Taunton to train to become a Care Practitioner, which is a new role within Barchester homes for talented care staff who want to do more to support the nurses they work alongside.
Sharon has always been a carer and has worked at The Manor Care Home for over 25 years. She's very much ‘part of the family', married to the home's Maintenance Manager and viewed as a mother figure by newer staff members.
She loves learning and jumps at every opportunity to improve her skills and progress so when she heard about the new Care Practitioner role, she was first in line.
Sharon explains: "I was chatting to my manager one day and said that I felt like I couldn't go anywhere else in my role. I wanted more clinical training. Also, I was working nights most of the time and there seemed to be no possibility for me to move to day shifts.
"So I was put forward for the Care Practitioner training programme, which took about 7-8 months. The training was very useful and I have learned a lot of new skills. I can do the medication, find symptoms. I love taking bloods.
Job Titles:
- Activities Coordinator at Corrina Lodge Care Home Where Trish Lives, Says
Sharon Rickman, the Activities Coordinator at Corrina Lodge Care Home where Trish lives, says: "Painting is a bit of freedom for her. It's the one activity where she's completely in control. She finds it very therapeutic."
Hello. My name is Simone and I am the General Manager here at West Oak. Welcome to our website.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I love to see prospective residents, families and friends, new members of staff and the local community taking an interest in our community.
My role is to ensure that we deliver what we say we do. I am responsible for overall service delivery to our residents and community, inspiring and leading the team and to ensure high standards of governance and compliance are achieved.
I trained as a nurse in Italy, and worked there for 20 years in that capacity. The last 7 years before leaving Italy I had the privilege of serving the public healthcare sector through managing and leading frontline hospital services. In 2017 I came to the UK and joined the NHS, which I was particularly proud of. I have learnt a great deal from these colleagues along my career journey.
I truly believe in the values of responsibility, integrity, kindness, compassion and doing what I can for others. The care sector has afforded me the opportunity to ‘live' these values in the workplace, for which I am truly grateful.
After serving in the NHS I was immediately drawn to Barchester because of the culture and principles the organisation aspires to.
I am now passionately working with the community and my team here at West Oak to take the home's services forward. My team and I are fully committed to embedding the Barchester Values: RESPECT, INTEGRITY, PASSION, EMPOWERMENT and RESPONSIBILITY.
My door is always open to the community, family, residents and staff: do not hesitate to come and talk to me should you need anything or if I can assist in any way.
Stephanie Brown, who lives at Kenwyn Care Home in Truro, has never been one to shy away from a challenge, even when she was at school. She loves taking part in extreme activities and describes herself as a thrill-seeker who's always up to mischief.