Meet the Rivermead Care Home Team

Hi, my name is Amanda and I joined Barchester in 2023. I have been a nurse for 15 years and trained in Leeds.  Giving residents the best care possible is my priority and I aim to do this by supporting staff with training and development.

I also aim to get to know the residents and ensure that their needs are met, taking into consideration their personal preferences.

Mandy is a valued part of the team and she is the unit manager on sunset unit. Mandy has been a nurse for over 20 years specialising in different parts of nursing. Mandy is our wellbeing champion and enjoys every aspect of her job. 

Mandy enjoys working with dementia residents, making their day filled with happiness. Mandy is kind, approachable and sensitive. In her spare time, Mandy enjoys spending time with her cats and her family, whilst enjoying the outdoors. Mandy is attentively known as ‘Auntie Mandy’ to many members of staff, a role which suits her perfectly.

Clare began at Rivermead as an agency nurse and enjoyed the atmosphere and the residents at Rivermead that much she decided to work at Rivermead full-time. Clare quickly became unit manager of Westow B and works hard to ensure the best quality of care for her residents. 

Clare is very thorough in her work and is a very familiar face with all of the residents and their families on Westow Unit. Clare is always there to offer a helping hand to everybody within the unit and is a very caring, comforting nurse. In her spare time Clare enjoys spending time with her two sons, going for days out and is a keen football Mum.

Michelle is the night manager at Rivermead and manages a team of night nurses and carers. 
Michelle enjoys her role at Rivermead and takes great pride in making sure the residents receive a restful nights sleep whilst ensuring their needs are met during the night. 

Michelle has worked across various nursing roles in her career, but this current role fits nicely with her three children, dogs and country lifestyle she lives outside of work. 

Marie is part of our wonderful team of nurses at Rivermead. She primarily works on the dementia unit but will happily work across the nursing unit if needed- she is a familiar friendly face everywhere in the home. Marie is described as being kind, thoughtful and caring towards her residents and is always around to chat to the residents. Marie began at Rivermead as a care assistant for nearly two years being deciding to her nursing and what an asset to the team she is. 

Marie enjoys spending time with her husband and son when she is not at work and they enjoy days out across North Yorkshire exploring new places in the place which they have now made home, after moving from the Philippines many years ago. 

Sue has worked at Rivermead for over 20 years and works as a night nurse on Westow Unit. Sue is very thorough in her work and is a very popular member of staff within the unit. 

Sue enjoys working at Rivermead and finds the staff very kind and comforting, hence her 20 years service to our residents. 

Raye-Ann is one of our night nurses here at Rivermead and works well to ensure our residents have a restful nights sleep to ensure their quality of life is maintained through receiving good sleep. 

Raye-Ann is always on hand to support the care staff who she is working with. 

Hazel is a registered nurse working on Woodlands and Sunset to support the unit managers in maintaining a high standard of care to the residents within the home. 

Hazel enjoys spending time with the residents and is a valued member of staff who is described as being extremely gentle and caring individual. Hazel takes a very person-centred approach to caring for her residents. 

Hi, my name is Becky and I am the homes Administrator.   My Job as the home administrator is to ensure all the finances are up to date and all records are kept up to date.

The role is varied and there are many aspects to what we complete as a team, but no two days are the same and there is rarely a quiet moment, but I love the hustle and bustle and always have a smile for everyone.

Hi, My name is Nicola and I am the activity coordinator for Rivermead. I plan and deliver a range of interactive and stimulating activities throughout the week for all the residents. 

We focus our planning through person centred care, meaning the activities we deliver are tailored to each of the residents individual choice and interests. 

It’s a very rewarding job role to be in, seeing the residents enjoy their lives to the best of their abilities and enhancing their experiences, building and maintaining friendships and supporting their wellbeing. 

Sarah along with her team is responsible for the catering service throughout the home. Sarah plans menus with input from residents and relatives to ensure balanced, nutritious meals throughout the day. Menus change four times a year to reflect seasonal produce and ensure variety. Sarah has worked in the catering industry for around 22 years in hotels, pubs, restaurants and care homes.

Terry is our head of maintenance at Rivermead and his role is to oversee all of the maintenance within the home. Terry has worked in maintenance for a long time across the care sector and knows his job very well. Terry works closely with the maintenance assistant and carries out all the jobs within the home. 

Terry is always found having a laugh with the staff and residents and never fails to make anybody laugh. Terry in his spare time enjoys fishing and spending time away in his caravan.

Hi, my name is Sam and I am Head of Housekeeping here at Rivermead. Myself and my team of housekeepers and laundry staff strive to make the home look and feel as clean, tidy and presentable as possible to ensure that our residents are happy and comfortable at all times.  I enjoy my role and like spending my time here at Rivermead interacting and getting to know the residents in our care. It is a wonderful place to work.

Justyna has worked at Rivermead for over 8 years, started working as a care assistant, housekeeper and moved onto the administrative team as the admin assistant. Justyna assists the Administrator in the finance and the administration of the home. 

Justyna welcomes visitors into the home with a smile and always offers a helping hand. In her spare time Justyna works as a fitness instructor, spinning coach and masseur. Justyna is described as a jack of all trades – she is great baker, she loves road cycling , painting, and badminton.

Pat is our resident ambassador at Rivermead. Pat is in charge of ensuring the residents' voices are heard and heading up the residents' meetings. 

Pat takes her role very seriously and enjoys advocating for everybody. Pat enjoys coming over to Memory Lane and playing games with the residents and enriching their lives as well as the residents on Westow unit.

Pat is the first to every event within the home and enjoys joining in any activity no matter how big or small. 

Hello, My name is Karlen Mcblane, I am a Care Practitioner here at Rivermead Care Home.

I have worked in the industry for many years and really enjoy supporting the team and residents here in the home.

Layla has worked at Rivermead for over 6 years, spending all of this time on the dementia unit. Layla is training to be a nurse and will qualify in August 2025, where she will continue at Rivermead, running woodlands unit. 

Layla often enjoys taking the residents out for days out, and can usually be found at work helping others out in all of the other departments. Layla is kind, funny and compassionate. In her spare time, Layla is usually found spending time with her 2 horses or taking her nieces and nephews out or going on holiday whether that a long weekend city break or a beach holiday. 

Maughan is another one of our senior carers who has trained through the Barchester NVQ programme. Maughan has been part of the Rivermead since 2022, and is often found taking residents on trips or doing escorts. Maughan helps support new carers who start at Rivermead. 

She is described as being a ray of sunshine and thoughtful to the needs of the residents. In her spare time, Maughan enjoys seeing her grandparents and spending time with her dog Lola. 

Cynthia has been part of our night team for over 15 years and her heart is well and truly set with Rivermead. Cynthia enjoys her role at Rivermead and describes it as being full of culture with everybody having the residents' best interests at heart. 

Cynthia enjoys baking when she is not at work and the staff also enjoy sampling her baking!

Lola is one of our trainee senior carers in the woodlands unit. Lola enjoys working with dementia and making their world a brighter place. 

Lola also does some activities work, and enjoys taking the residents out on trips. Lola is described as being emphatic, generous and supportive of all of the new starters on the unit.

Lola is always there to lend a helping hand to the residents and their family members. In her spare time Lola enjoys going for walks along the beach and spending time with her friends. 

Beth is one of our senior care assistants and works across both of the dementia units. 

Beth is described as being passionate, her attention to detail is a delight and she is a bubbly character. 
In her spare time, Beth enjoys taking her dog Peach to new places, with her 2 children who she is a very proud mum too. 

Hi, my name is Johanase and I am a Care Assistant here at Rivermead. I have worked in the health care industry for many years, I love the culture and passion all the team have in the home. 

Slavka is one of the care assistants at Rivermead who primarily works on Woodlands unit. Slavka is described as being attentive, thorough and a deeply caring individual. 

Slavka is always on hand to help all of the residents and their families and ensures their needs are met to a very high standard. Slavka, in her spare time enjoys walking her dog to new places and often brings her dog down to the home to see the residents. 

Maisie is one of our care assistants who works on Westow unit. Maisie is studying to become a senior carer through the Barchester NVQ programme with hopes of becoming a nurse in the future. 

Maisie is a brilliant member of the care team, who puts her residents first. She is described as being funny, thoughtful and generous. In her spare time, Maisie enjoys city breaks with her partner and spending time with her family. 

Hi, my name is Lucy Sonley and I am a Care Assistant here at Rivermead. I have just starting worked in the health care industry and have a real passion for supporting the elderly, I am kind and empathetic and support all of our lovely residents.

Emily is one of our senior carers and works across both units. Emily completed her NVQ with one of barchesters programmes and has settled into her role enriching the lives of the residents. 

Emily is described as being fun, dependable and caring. In her spare time, Emily enjoys going out with her friends to music concerts and spending time with her family. 

Hi, my name is Clarissa Banagilma and I am a Care Assistant here at Rivermead. I have worked in the health care industry for many years and have a passion for supporting the elderly.

Jerry is one of our care assistants in the Sunset unit. 

He is described as being very generous to his team and can often be heard singing the day away. Jerry is a pleasure to have within the home.

Leanne is a care assistant in the Westow unit. Leanne enjoys her role at Rivermead and making the residents' day better. 

Leanne is originally from the Newcastle area and the residents enjoy listening to her accent!

Kazeem started his career with Barchester at another care home before transferring to Rivermead after moving to the local area. 

Kazeem has a great relationship with the residents and always puts their needs first. Kazeem always works as a team player. Kazeem enjoys being at Rivermead and describes it as a second family. 

Hello, my name is Bernie, I am a Hostess and support with Activities. 

Hello, my name is Graeme and I am the 2nd chef here at Rivermead. I have a number of years catering experience working in hotels, restaurants and care homes. I am pleased to be part of a team that is passionate about our Residents dining experience in providing tasty and nutritious meals with beautiful cakes and desserts, whilst also catering for special dietary requirements for our Residents.  I am very proud to be part of the Rivermead team.

Hi my is Jonathan, I am a Kitchen Assistant at Rivermead. I really enjoy making lots of lovely food for our residents. Nutrition is key to supporting a healthy lifestyle!

Hello, my name is Tina and I am a Housekeeper here at Rivermead. Keeping the home lovely and clean means happy residents and happy families, this is one of the main things that matters to me. 

Michelle began her career at Rivermead as a carer, working nights for nearly 8 years. Before, transitioning to a housekeeper when her children were more grown up. Michelle enjoys her role as a housekeeper as she is able to chat to the residents and engage with them. 

Michelle is also often found in the laundry, supporting the head housekeeper with maintaining the big loads of washing which we accumulate. In her spare time, Michelle enjoys spending time with her family, especially watching York City play.

Hailey began working as part of the housekeeping team before transitioning onto the care team for a few years during Covid-19. Hailey then transitioned back to being a housekeeper and overall has worked at Rivermead for over 15 years. 

Hailey is described as being an extremely kind and caring member of staff who is always up for a chat with the residents and other staff.