Parkfield Grange

I am the General Manager at Parkfield Grange. As such, I am responsible for the day-to-day management of the home in all aspects from care to catering to maintenance to housekeeping. This means that I need to have a good knowledge of all the separate functions in order for me to lead the team members to deliver a fantastic experience to our residents. As the General Manager, my role is vast; I can be involved in anything from recruitment to payroll to audits to care. No day is the same, which is why I love what I do.

I originally trained as a Registered Nurse and have worked in the field of care of Older Persons in both the NHS and in the independent sector since I qualified. Along the way, I have gained several degrees, including a master's degree in Law and Employment Relations and a master's degree in Leadership and Management. I have worked in a variety of roles in my career and am thrilled to be using all my skills and experience to lead the team at Parkfield Grange.

Outside of work, I have many interests but particularly enjoy learning Ballroom and Latin dancing, cooking and gardening. I love to socialise and enjoy nothing more than putting my cooking skills to use and feeding large numbers of family and friends.

WHAT I DO: In my role as Deputy Manager I have a duty to support both the General and Care Services Manager in setting the standards for the home. I also work closely alongside the Senior Carers and Care Team out on the floor to ensure there is excellence in resident care. I pride myself on being a visual manager and my top goal is to achieve Outstanding care for our residents with the support and dedication of our fabulous care team. I take great pride in bedding the company's Visions and Values and always remind the team it’s important to make a difference. Since being at Parkfield Grange I have developed strong professional bonds and relationships with both our residents and their families and like to consider myself the first port of call if they ever need any support or of the pay want to discuss any concerns they may have. I also need to ensure that the home meets the Essential Standards of Quality and Safety, the requirements of CQC and the company's own Aims and Objectives. Part of my role is to also provide the team with training and I am fortunate to also hold the position of the homes Train the Trainer in Moving and Handling and PCS Training.

MY EXPERIENCE: I have worked in the care industry since leaving college in 2006 after gaining my qualifications in Health and Social Care. I was very fortunate to pass to go on to study at University and got offered a place to study Midwifery. However, I thought why not have a year or two out and gain some real hands-on experience first to see what the world had to offer? I then went and got my first job in a care home at 18 years old as a care assistant and instantly fell in love with what this career had to offer and never looked back. I started my career as a Care Assistant and then over the years progressed to a Senior Carer, Team Leader, Deputy Manager and I was also very fortunate to hold the position of Acting Care Manager in one of the homes I worked at. Over the years I have gained all the relevant qualifications needed to enable me to fulfil my roles, this being my NVQ2 and 3 and Level 5 Diploma in Management. I have worked for Cinnamon Care for almost 5 years, originally working at Burcot Lodge until I transferred to Parkfield Grange in May 2021.

ABOUT ME: My name is Amy and I am the Deputy Care Services Manager here at Parkfield Grange Care Home. I am married and have a teenage daughter and when I am not at work I enjoy nothing more than spending quality time with my little family. When I was younger I used to be an experienced horse rider and competed in many shows across the county but I gave this up when I went to college. However, recently, my daughter has taken an interest in horse riding so I have taken the plunge after all these years and got back in the saddle and we both have riding lessons each week. I also enjoy travelling to different countries and learning about different cultures and am in my element on a girl's day out clothes shopping.

WHAT I DO: I am the Home Admissions Advisor at Parkfield Grange Care Home and joined the team in December 2022. My role within the home is to work with families and the local community by supporting people on their care journey and helping them understand the process of finding good care. This is a role that I absolutely love and I really enjoy being able to meet so many new people and helping them as much as I can.

MY EXPERIENCE: I have worked in the care sector for 9 years, I started my care career with a home care provider as a Live-in care coordinator and progressed through to Business Development and Customer Liaison Manager.

This role really expanded my care and clinical knowledge by allowing me to support people with a variety of needs. After roughly 2 and a half years working in Home Care, I transitioned to working in residential care and since having done so, I have worked all over the West Midlands supporting Residential, Dementia and Nursing Care - this has left me with a true passion for Dementia care.

ABOUT ME: Outside of work, I am a girlfriend and mother to a very cheeky little girl and a boisterous Jack Russell. I enjoy attending alternative fitness classes which really test my physical abilities, this is something that has really highlighted the importance of good physical and mental health. When I'm not being a mum or in the gym, I love a good book or quietly colouring.

WHAT I DO: I am the activity coordinator at Parkfield Grange and moved into this post in June 2023. My role within the home is to put together a programme of activities to keep all the residents engaged and active within our community. This includes meeting with the residents to understand their likes, dislikes and hobbies and planning activities according to these. This also involves putting together large events within the home and booking outside vendors such as singers, musicians and theatre companies.

MY EXPERIENCE: I have worked within health and social care for most of my career for the past 17 years. I began within the NHS working as an ambulance call taker and then moved to work as a Nursing Assistant within hospitals. I then made the move to working in rehabilitation as a Therapy Support Worker working with the elderly population in hospitals specialising in rehabilitation following hip surgery. After doing this for nearly 3 years I made the move to work in a local nursing home as an activity coordinator but due to the pandemic, I quickly moved to a Care and Senior Carer position within the home working with dementia residents. I made the move to Parkfield Grange in 2021 as a Senior Care Assistant.

ABOUT ME: I have a Border Terrier puppy called Ruby who loves to come in to work with me and enjoys cuddles and walks in the garden with all our residents. In my spare time, I enjoy time with my family, long walks and days out with Ruby and when we are able love to travel the world and visit new places and meet new people. I also have a weakness for shopping.

WHAT I DO:
I am the home administrator at Parkfield Grange. I supervise a highly motivated Reception and Administration team and collaboratively we deliver an excellent customer focused experience. My team and I manage all financial and HR queries meeting resident and relatives expectations.

MY EXPERIENCE:
I am a highly motivated, experienced, and adaptable individual. I have worked autonomously and in a team. I have gained over 20 years financial and managerial experience in both the private and public sector. I am empathetic, kind, caring and life has taught me to appreciate every moment. I will go the extra mile to achieve my goals to make sure my duties are carried out efficiently and effectively. I have been awarded a kindness in care award in my previous role for my hard work and dedication. I have actively supported other care homes administratively and trained new administrators.

ABOUT ME:
I live in Wolverhampton and am happily married to my husband Matt. We have an adorable autistic son called Rhys. He has taught me never to give up and is a true inspiration. We love the outdoors and love pets. We have a horse, dog, cats, birds, fish, rabbit and guinea pigs. We love to spend our holidays in our caravan which is based in the Welsh mountains.

WHAT I DO: I am the Head Chef responsible for the running of the kitchen within the home. Along with my team, I work closely with the resident group to ensure that they enjoy a varied and delicious menu in which I seek their input and preferences to enable our menu to be truly person-centred.

MY EXPERIENCE: Whilst I have worked in various care homes as a Head Chef for over 10 years, I have also been a landlady running the pub and kitchen. My first role within the catering industry was as a baker and confectioner before heading into pubs, and industrial catering which has, 35 years from beginning to now, led me to the care industry.

I was interested in becoming a chef after baking with my grandmother as a child, she is the person who inspired me to be where I am now.

ABOUT ME: I like to live a quiet life, within this, I have 2 adult children and 3 Labradors and am interested in nice cars. One of my ambitions in life is to purchase a motorhome which can then enable me to travel around Scotland and the British Isles.

WHAT I DO: I am the Maintenance Manager, my role is to ensure that guests are comfortable, safe, and secure in their home. You will see me popping up all around the home while carrying out repairs or safety checks. This is a role that I really enjoy and I like to be very hands-on, but I will always make time for a quick chat.

MY EXPERIENCE: I have worked directly in the care sector for 13 years, prior to this I ran my own construction and environmental company carrying out work for local authorities and trusts in various residential and dementia care homes around the Midlands, Shropshire and Staffordshire. After the closure of the company, I moved directly into the Residential, Dementia and Nursing Care sectors as this is where my passion for the job lies.

ABOUT ME: I have been married for twenty-three years now, and I have two grown-up lads. We also share our home with two dogs and three cats, so yep our house is never quiet!

Outside of work, I am a keen motorcyclist and still enjoy going out for a Sunday blast. In my younger years, I was heavily into drag racing, sadly I’m no longer in the flushes of youth so have now retired from competitive sport, but I have still a couple of bikes in the garage as the passion never goes away. Aside from my bikes, I enjoy spending quality time with my family and trying to keep the cats under control.

WHAT I DO: I am the Head Housekeeper at Parkfield Grange Care Home and have been since summer 2024. My experienced team and I make sure the residents receive a great service in a clean and safe environment. We work across all areas of the home to ensure that our 5 star standards are delivered.

MY EXPERIENCE: I have been a housekeeper for 20 years and spent 8 working in the care environment. Prior to this, I was working in hotels in Spain. I like to complete my job to the high standard, whilst being helpful and considerate.

ABOUT ME: Outside of work, I enjoy cooking, outdoor walks as well as travelling and trying different food.

WHAT I DO: I started my career with Cinnamon in 2021 when I joined the team as a night senior. After my successful probation period I joined the day team and soon progressed in my role and became a Team Leader. While in the role as a team leader, I have studied my level 5 in management and leadership which has given me the knowledge and skills to continue my progression within my career and I am now a Care Coordinator working along side the General manager and deputy manager to lead the senior and care team to deliver a high standards of care to our residents. I work closely with the care team to oversee the delivery of care and ensure we uphold the Cinnamon visions and values. I am also one of the homes train the trainer in Moving and Handling and deliver training to the team.

MY EXPERIENCE: I began my career in care at the age of 18. My first job was as a care assistant which I instantly feel in love with and have never looked back. I left employment for around 10 years to look after my children before returning to work in 2019 where I started my studies and gained my level 2 and 3 in health and social care and my level 5 in management and leadership.

ABOUT ME: I am happily married with four children 2 dogs 2 snakes and a breaded dragon at home. I love nothing more than spending time with my family and going on girly day out shopping with my youngest daughter.