I did my RGN training at Southend General Hospital, staffing on surgical, medical and Accident & Emergency with my midwifery in between.

I left the Hospital in 1989 to run a Nursing Home I liked it so much that I decided to own one myself and so in 1991 I opened Willowdale Lodge Nursing Home.

I feel strongly that our elderly population, who gave us so much, get a raw deal at times and I wanted to be able to offer care and consideration to them as best I could.

I joined SECHA and felt that it gave me a lot of help and support in my running of Willowdale Lodge.

I thought that I should give something back to the Association for all the support I had received.  I joined the Executive Committee and here I am – Chair!

Working away in the background for West House for over 10 years, I was asked if I would like to join the family business as a Director, after having worked for a financial institution for 23 years.

When I agreed to take this position, I had no hands on experience of caring for Residents and no idea of what was involved.  Here I am 2 years on proud to be the Registered Manager after successfully achieving my Registered Managers Award in March of this year.

Shortly after joining West House, I became a Director of SECHA as I wanted to share my experiences with other members and benefit from other members experiences to compliment the smooth running of West House Nursing Home.

Since 1992 I have worked as chief executive for The Southend-on-Sea Darby and Joan Organisation, a registered charity that provides care for the elderly by way of two registered care homes and one supportive sheltered home.  The Organisation looks after 62 elderly people, whose needs are many and varied but include physical frailty and dementia, and employs some 70 staff.

Other positions I hold are:

• Director, and past Chairman for six years, of the South Essex Care Homes Association which represents over 60 care providers,
• Chairman of Southend Association of Voluntary Services
• Chairman of the South East Essex Advocacy for Older People,
• Trustee of The Peaceful Place.
• Governor / vice chairman of a local grammar school.
• Prior to moving to the voluntary sector I worked for a major bank for 21 years.
• Skills include finance, personnel, planning/organisation.          

I qualified as a Registered General Nurse and Registered Nurse for the Learning Disability.

I  also achieved NVQ Level 4 in Management.

I worked for the past 26 years as a manager in various NHS Trust Hospitals and Social Services Organisations.

I started business as a Care Home owner/operator in late 1999 providing residential care for people with a learning disability.

Joining SECHA has given me the opportunity to learn, network and support other learning disability care home providers.

I attended Goldsmiths College in London and did a Degree in Education.  I then worked with children with special needs until 1991.  After that I worked with young adults with drink and drugs problems working towards drying them out and setting them up in permanent accommodation.

In 2000 I bought Westminster House, a Home for the elderly mentally ill and that is where I am today.

I still work two days a week in London with younger addicted people.

I became a Director of SECHA in June 2007.

I also appear in ‘Who’s, Who’ in respect of my work with younger addicted people.