Signature Coombe Hill Manor

I am a registered nurse, having qualified in South Africa after completing the 4-year integrated Nursing Course, and I specialised an additional year in Mental Health. I have worked for one of Bupa’s biggest nursing homes for the last 15 years, in the capacity of a Nurse, Clinical Services Manager, Training Coordinator and, recently, as the Deputy Manager. During this time, I studied Dementia at Kingston University and also gained my mentorship qualifications at City University. I also facilitated the home's entry into the Gold Standards Framework for End of Life care in care homes and they were awarded Beacon status - which is the highest accolade awarded to a home in this field. The home still holds this award. I joined Coombe Hill Manor as Care Services Manager. I am passionate about resident care and ensuring that high standards are reached and maintained. Every person living in our community has a voice and we are here to support their choices while respecting their dignity and providing them with the support they need to start a new life at Coombe Hill Manor.

I joined Signature in 2020 and thoroughly enjoy showcasing Coombe Hill Manor to prospective residents and their loved ones. The home has organically grown from strength to strength over time and has built an impressive reputation for delivering premium care coupled with exceptional hospitality services. Our strategy around person-centred care is not only amplified through our robust and bespoke care plans but also a range of meaningful resident activities both internally and externally. With so many features on offer including fine dining and wellbeing facilities, I look forward to welcoming you to our award-winning home some time soon.

As Client Liaison Manager, I am your first point of contact when you make an initial enquiry. I am committed to handling your enquiry with care and integrity, supporting you and any loved ones throughout the process, from initial viewing to move-in, and offering my full support, trust and guidance, as well as a listening ear. Having spent most of my career working within the banking and finance sector, my years working in social care have been very enlightening for me. I have learnt so much about elderly care and continue to learn something new each day. I have also had the honour of meeting some wonderful people and it has been a privilege to be part of their personal journey. I can truly say that this is the best job in the world, where each day brings a new challenge and experience.

I am originally from Poland, and I have been in health sector for over 10 years. I have a passion for dementia care and it is my belief that all people living with dementia can lead a happy and fulfilled life in the right environment. My role as Dementia Manager in our Auguste community is to support the care team in delivering exceptional and passionate person-centred care to our residents with a focus on suitably stimulating activities in a pleasant homely environment. I believe that dementia is seen not as an end to people’s lives, but the start of a new journey to life.

I have worked in the care industry since 2017 within different sectors including domiciliary, mental health, support working and assisted living. After graduating with a degree in Psychology from Reading University, I explored the idea of developing my career in the managerial side of care. I joined Signature at Coombe Hill Manor as the Residential Care Manager in July 2024 and was delighted to join such a strong, committed team. Caring is my passion and I am dedicated to providing the best care for our residents. I am very proud to work alongside and oversee such a kind and compassionate care team.

I have provided advanced medical-surgical nursing services for over 15 years, in both NHS and the private sector. I worked as a Director of Nursing, Clinical Director, and a Band 8a Senior Nurse, with extensive training in critical care and high-dependency units. I pursued pre- and post-graduate education at the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery, King’s College London for an MSc in Gastrointestinal Nursing amongst others and at City University, London as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner. I am passionate about my work and dedicated to creating a more positive experience for our service users and their loved ones. Being with Signature as a Clinical Services Manager, I am instrumental in maintaining and improving the ethos of the home as well as supporting our team members in their professional development.

I have recently joined Signature as Nursing Care Manager. After graduating as a nurse from the University Autonoma de Lisboa, I spent 2 years working for Barchester Care Home before joining the Royal hospital for neuro-disability where I spent 4 years there. I find fulfilment in working with other members of the team to ensure continuity of care for our residents. It is important to me to help residents get the best care possible in the best setting for each individual. My favourite part of the job is working with my team of nurses, mentoring, empowering and developing them, as well as interacting with residents and their loved ones on a regular basis.

I have been working at Signature Coombe Hill Manor since March 2018. Working in a care setting was new to me, having been in the Banking sector all of my working life, but I have to say that I have fallen in love with the care sector! The first time I came to Coombe Hill Manor was for an interview for my current role. From the minute I walked in the front door, I was met with smiles and a feeling of warmth - I felt at ease even though I had an interview to undergo! Since then, I have been in awe of how deeply team members and management care about what they do. One of my responsibilities is to recruit staff for the home. The team and I ensure we recruit people who will embrace the Signature values so that our residents can continue to expect high levels of care and service excellence.

I began my career as a professional chef in 1980 and after many enjoyable and successful years in hotels and restaurants, I decided to join the care home sector through Signature in late 2021 in a regional capacity. During my time at the regional level, I have worked in many Signature kitchens with some amazing people having gained an idea of what the company is about and how much they care about the wonderful service they provide. Working with Signature has allowed me to really express myself as a chef and add to my already vast experience. After spending time on the road, I have decided to settle down and dedicate myself to the wonderful residents and team at Signature at Coombe Hill Manor. My aim is to use my knowledge of food production and preparation along with the requirements of our residents, to bring them the best possible dining experience.