Meet the Southerndown Care Home Team

Our staff are what hold the home together. Each one of these team members are dedicated to providing high quality care and services to those we support, and ensuring that residents enjoy all aspects of life at our home. See below to meet some of our friendly faces:

Shilpa Nair

General Manager

Hi, I'm Shilpa and I am the General Manager here at Southerndown Care Home. Welcome to our website.

I have been a registered nurse since 2012 and elder care is my passion. Before working at Southerndown I was the Deputy Manager at one of our sister homes. 

I love working for Barchester and leading the team in the care and support of residents to provide a quality service that meets their individual needs. We have a truly lovely home and a fantastic team.

At Southerndown we are creating a community that is as homely, happy and active as possible. Striving to make sure the residents are leading interesting fulfilled lives is at the centre of our aims here. We treat every resident with the care that we would want shown to our own family.

Please feel free to drop in for a chat and to learn more about life at our home.

Arlene Acuavera

Regional Support Manager

I have worked at Barchester for over 2 years

My favourite thing about my job is that it involves interacting and communicating with people and also that my tasks are very diverse, so I can use my emotional intelligence and communication skills, problem solving and my analytical skills. It’s very rewarding when you get to meet amazing people and making a difference in their lives.

I’m a very social person and enjoy meeting my friends and family in my free time. In this fast-paced environment, meeting my loved ones gives me comfort and a sense of warmth. I also love to dance and have been dancing since I was in grade school. I know different dance forms and I’ve participated in countless dance events. My dancing helps me stay active while doing something I enjoy.

Subra Krishnan

Deputy Manager

Hi, I am Subra, I am the Deputy General Manager here at Southerndown Care Home.

I have been working at Southerndown Care Home since July, 2021. I have completed B.Sc. Nursing and gained important experience from my time in a Surgical Intensive Care Unit.

I am passionate about my job and I love caring for the elderly. I started my journey in Southerndown as a Pre-registered Nurse before I became Registered General Nurse and was promoted to Deputy Manager in 2023

Letty Marton

Head of Unit

I joined Barchester back in 2011 and have gradually worked myself up to now be Head of Unit at Southerndown Care Home. I have a Master's Degree in Nursing, along with over 25 years experience. My passion is provide an outstanding service for the people we look after, and ensure I treat everyone the way I would want to be treated. In my spare time I enjoy reading and gardening.

Lovella Vasquez

Senior Nurse

I have worked at Southerndown Barchester since 2019.

As a Senior Nurse my role is to ensure the clinical support within the home for our residents, but ensuring I can come to work and put smiles on the residents faces and make a difference to their lives is the most rewarding part of what we do.

In my spare time I like to learn new languages as I believe it fosters personal growth whilst understanding more cultures and opens doors for me to travel and embark on visiting different parts of the world

Sridhar Natesan

Senior Nurse

Hi, I'm Sridhar and I am proud to be a nurse at Southerndown. 

My team and I are dedicated to providing the absolute best nursing care possible to each and every resident. Whether a resident needs full nursing care or simply a bit of extra support, all of us are on hand to ensure that everyone who lives here can continue to enjoy life. 

Bridget Lane

Administrator

Here at Southerndown I am responsible for all the administration within the home, for residents, staff and families.

Relatives often pop in to see me and I enjoy listening to them learning more about the residents- which helps me develop a more special understanding of them personally.

It's never quiet here and there is always something happening and joining in with the fun is key to making the day go well for everyone.

Stacey Davies

Activities Co-ordinator

I have worked at Southerndown since 2013. I enjoy providing various activities for our residents with the team, such as gardening groups, trips out in the mini bus around the Cotswolds, quiz days and entertainment performances. Amongst the many things we enjoy doing, part of my role within the home is to ensure all residents are provided the purpose in life to fulfil day to day stimulation, whether that be together, or creating individual activity to those that prefer. 

 

 

Andrei Mereu

Head Chef

I have been part of the team at Southerndown Care Home for 6 years

My favourite thing about my job is seeing the residents enjoy our food, and the meals we prepare. Seeing empty plates is a reward for me and the kitchen team. In my spare time I enjoy walking my dog and visiting the theatre and cinema

Stephen Oliver

Head of Maintenance

I have been part of the team at Southerndown Care Home for over 2 years.

I really enjoy ensuring the home is kept to a high standard that our residents deserve, making sure im on hand to fix and solve any issues and being part of a great team. In my spare time I enjoy using exotic woods to build cabinets and jewellery boxes, but only when I get a break from walking my 12 week old German Shephard puppy Layla.

Kim Van Jaarsveld

Head Housekeeper

Having worked at Southerndown 20 years ago as a Senior Carer, I was very happy to return as Head Housekeeper. Myself and my team enjoy keeping our residents home looking it's best and also taking time to interact with the people we support on a daily basis. We love seeing the smiles on their faces. 

In my spare time I love seeing my 4 grandchildren, I enjoy cooking and being active. I also enjoy the quiet moments and like to relax with a good book

Deborah Kelly

Admin Assistant

I joined the team at Southerndown in 2024. I really enjoy welcoming the friends and family of our residents to the home and love spending time with our incredible residents and being on hand to help.

In my spare time i enjoy spending quality time with my family and taking our young springer spaniel around the beautiful countryside we have in Oxfordshire.

Cathy Wheeler

Activity Co-ordinator

I have been with the team at Southerndown since 2023

People ask me what I enjoy about my job and the answer is easy... 'the people'. Its the small things that make the difference every day, seeing people smile and seeing someone respond positively to interaction. We offer a great life enrichment programme at Southerndown and every day is different but enjoyable. 

In my spare time I like to spend time in the garden, I enjoy sewing but mostly love spending time with my grandchildren