I have always had a passion for caring and looking after others. Starting out as a domestic in a large psychiatric hospital at the age of 16 then led me to take up caring as a profession. As a nursing assistant, I worked with the elderly mentally ill in and around Sussex and London. I loved this genre of nursing so much I decided to train as a nurse in 1990, qualifying in 1993.
I then spent time as a deputy manager of a group home for residents with learning disabilities and moved on to run a dementia unit on nights when my son was young.
It was during these positions caring for the vulnerable I was challenged to intervene when I witnessed undignified and institutionalised behaviour. This stirred me to champion good practice and confront concerns. My passion and heart are to ensure the relational and spiritual aspects of care are addressed.
I emigrated to Canada in the mid 90’s and worked as a sexual assault advisor/counsellor and a post-natal nurse involved primarily with child neglect and safeguarding cases. I worked alongside indigenous populations which extensively broadened my awareness and insight into caring and supporting culturally diverse groups.
After transferring back to the UK I worked for the NHS as a child protection liaison nurse supporting young mothers who were using illicit drugs and alcohol and safeguarding their children as Safeguarding Lead for the service.
Similarly, moving into the position of Operations Manager I am responsible for the core operations include resourcing highly skilled staff. This role also involves driving growth strategy and balancing the local and national needs of the company.
Having used care agencies to provide staff to cover the needs of our residents I have directly seen the poor quality and inexperienced carers we have received from outside agencies. This led to a decision to incorporate my knowledge and experience into training and vetting excellent care staff to fulfill the needs of care establishments in Eastbourne and the surrounding areas.
