Amber, Author at Southcare Homes Group

Jacqui at Heatherdene: “I went into care by accident, really!”

Read the short bio about Jacqui Ripley, Healthcare Assistant at Heatherdene Nursing Home in Bexhill. Jacqui, aged 80, will be leaving this month after a whopping 39 years at the home. Everyone at the home would like to wish her the very best! We had a little chat with Jacqui to find out more about her and her incredible career in care:

How did you go into the care sector?

I went into care by accident, really! Initially, I worked in Regent Street London for 15 years. After I moved to Bexhill, I got married and had three children. When my youngest was three, I started looking for part-time work. I got a job in care at Three Chimneys just for Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings.

One of the RGNs there mentioned her sister-in-law was opening a nursing home. And she thought it would be a fit for me! That home was Heatherdene Nursing Home! And that was back in April 1986! At that time, it only had 12 residents. As time went on, I took on more hours as my children were at school.

What’s special about Heatherdene?

During my time at Heatherdene Nursing Home, I loved watching the home’s magic start to work on new residents. On arrival, they would come in anxious and a little hesitant. But after a dose of good food and good care, the kindness, professionalism and companionship from the care team would shine through! Heatherdene is not a big home and it’s spotlessly clean and welcoming.

What advice would you give to new or current staff?

I just want to say the staff are fantastic! I always felt we were a family and you could rely on each other for help if needed. Lots of them have stayed and worked for 5 years plus at Heatherdene. The staff are the backbone of Heatherdene. And Beena, our amazing manager, is strict but always fair.

"I loved watching the home's magic start to work on new residents. They would come in anxious and a little hesitant... but after a dose of good food and good care, the kindness, professionalism and companionship from the care team would shine through."

Jacqui Ripley

Is there anyone in the home you’d like to mention?

I would like to mention Shaun, Lynn, Harriet, Veronica especially! Shimmy, in the kitchen, makes a stonking cauliflower cheese! And our Registered General Nurse, Marion Stevens, always listens when you flag someone up as being under par.

Tell us about you.

I have five grandchildren, and I like to read and I sew. My dog, Benson, keeps me on my toes! And I had a lovely surprise 80^th birthday party and was truly spoilt. I don’t intend on losing touch with any of my Heatherdene friends. We will be having tea or coffee and a good catch up in the future.

Jacqui will certainly leave a legacy at the home and will be greatly missed!

05/12/2025 / by Amber

Zeenat Nanji: WAGS Lifetime Achievement Finalist 2025

Southcare Homes Group is proud to announce that our founder, Mrs Zeenat Nanji, is a finalist in this year’s WAGS Awards. Zeenat was nominated for the Lifetime Achievement Award (Residential) Category. WAGS stands for Women Achieving Greatness in Social Care. According to the WAGS website, over 85% of the care workforce is female. And the WAGS Awards programme is a way to celebrate the hardworking, dedicated women that work tirelessly in this sector. Women working in care often juggling their work and family life. Read on to find out why Zeenat Nanji is well deserving to be a WAGS Lifetime Achievement finalist for 2025.

A Lifetime in Care

Mrs Nanji has had a career in care for over 50 years! It began in a hospital in Charing Cross and later turned into a successful career as a midwife. Since 1986, Zeenat transitioned into health and social care. From there, she has dedicated her life to supporting and empowering the elderly.

Zeenat is a compassionate leader and advocate for quality care. She has acquired seven care homes over the years and has built each one on her values of dignity, respect, and kindness. She has worked on numerous projects to improve the lives of residents while mentoring and training her staff to uphold the highest standards in collaboration with the Care Quality Commission.

A Passion for Dementia Care

Zeenat’s passion for dementia care has stayed strong over the years. Most recently, this has been manifested in our group’s pioneering of dementia care technology. This year, we partnered with Brain+ and became the first care group in the UK to pilot a cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) platform called Ayla.

Zeenat worked closely with Brain+ CEO, Devika Wood, to roll this program out within two of her homes. She completed the training herself and continues to support her teams at Grasmere Rest Home and Lime Tree House. Zeenat still has an active role in the group. She manages and conducts training sessions for care staff in all five for her homes.

Alongside her professional achievements, Zeenat is a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. Her dedication, resilience, and compassion continue to inspire those around her. She is a true role model in her field and worthy to be a WAGS Awards Finalist.

She is also an avid and talented golfer, having been club Captain at Leatherhead Golf Club. Zeenat has a love of theatre, enjoys spending time in Portugal and loves being with her family.

She is an inspiration to everyone at Southcare Homes Group and has made our group what it is today – a group of care homes with strong family values and a determination to provide high-quality, compassionate care. We are so happy she has been nominated to be a WAGS Lifetime Achievement Finalist! We all wish her every success when she attends the awards night tomorrow!

01/12/2025 / by Amber

Southcare Homes Hosts their First Recognition & Awards Night

Southcare Homes Group hosted their very first Recognition & Awards Night last week and it was such a success!

Veronika Markova receiving Healthcare Assistant of the Year Award, sponsored by Beaucare. Pictured with Emily Lamb, Head of Customer Experience and Partnerships at Beaucare, and Southcare Homes Proprietor, Karim Nanji.

Around 100 members of the Southcare Homes team were able to attend and we’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who held the fort at our homes and were working on this night, looking after our dear residents – it means so much.

A luxurious night to remember at DoubleTree by Brighton Hilton Metropole

The evening was held at The DoubleTree Hotel by Brighton Hilton Metropole along Brighton’s sparkling seafront. And the sparkles didn’t stop there! Everyone dressed to impress in colourful dresses, fine suits, and shared a warm welcome at the luxurious drinks reception.

Later, we went into the exquisite main dining hall, complete with ten beautifully laid tables, a large stage, chandeliers from the ceiling, and a dancefloor for later. The awards ceremony began with three awards, each presented by one of sponsors who did a great job in making it feel like the Oscars. Following the two course meal, there was more passionate cheering from the audience as more awards for received, and the team spirit throughout the whole evening was fantastic!

The Awards

Here are our list of winners for the Southcare Homes Group Recognition & Awards Night 2025:

Care Home Support Team Member of the Year – Georgina Marsh, who has various roles at Highbury House, Rottingdean

Community Engagement Champion of the Year – Anthony Noad, Activities Coordinator, Grasmere, Sutton

Central Support Staff Member of the Year – Amber Gibson, Marketing Executive & Lisa Massey, Group Finance Assistant

Newcomer of the Year – Holly Hale, Healthcare Assistant, Lime Tree House, Ringmer

Health Care Assistant of the Year – Veronika Markova, HCA, Heatherdene, Bexhill

Nurse of the Year – Precilla D’Souza, Registered Nurse, Freshford Cottage, Seaford

Leader of the Year – Savarnia Peters, Team Leader, Lime Tree House

Star of the Year – Antonina Gont, Home Manager, Grasmere, Sutton

Champion of Champions – Maria Yonova, Healthcare Assistant, Highbury House, Rottingdean

Digitalisation Award – Antonina Gont & Aimee Duffy

Well done to each of our winners!

There were also awards for those that have been working in our Southcare Homes for a good number of years. Many over 5, some of 10, and a few over 20! Everyone gave a standing ovation and a huge congratulations to three individuals who have been with the Southcare Homes family for over 25 years: Angela Taylor at Highbury House job who works as an Activities Coordinator, Karen Baker at Grasmere, Senior Healthcare assistant, and our longest running staff member, Jacqueline Ripley at Heatherdene, who has been a Healthcare Assistant at Heatherdene for 39 years! We are so thankful and honoured for every faithful member of staff.

From right: Jacqueline Ripley, Karen Baker, Joanne Robinson-Randall, Group Manager, accepting the award for Angela Taylor, and Proprietor, Karim Nanji.

A thank you to everyone that could attend!

A huge thank you to the proprietors of Southcare Homes. Firstly, Karim Nanji for being the brains behind the event and for MCing and keeping us all entertained. And to Mrs Zeenat Nanji for her heartfelt thank you to everyone that was able to attend.

Thank you also to our esteemed guests, supporters & sponsors who presented the awards so well!

Emily Lamb – Beaucare

Emily Gill – Beaucare

James Carelse – Coversure Insurance

Devika Wood – Brain+

Laura Anthony – Skills for Care

Mike Bailey – Skills for Care

Elizabeth Harket – Camascope

Chris Christo – Well Pharmacy

Additionally, Fulcrum Consulting, Blueleaf & Coolcare for sponsoring our awards.

A special mention to Emily Gill and Emily Lamb from Beaucare who travelled over 5 hours to be with us!

And we can’t forget our fantastic photographer, Lorna Ellen Photography, who did an amazing job of capturing the magic of the night! Thank you!

We were so happy so many could be there to enjoy the momentous evening for Southcare Homes!

Living Our Values

Our five values – support, passion, attention, dedication and empathy – are at the core of Southcare Homes and help us create our familial group culture, maintain high standards and develop a welcoming atmosphere. It’s important to know them, but it’s even more important that we live them. Our success is owed to staff that naturally live by our company values and contribute to the welcoming atmospheres and efficient-running of our homes. Our awards night was a time to recognise and reward the incredible effort our staff put in to living our values every single day.

09/07/2025 / by Amber

Southcare Homes: the first to pilot Digital Dementia Care in the UK

Southcare Homes Group is proud to be the first UK care home group to partner with Brain+. Brain+ is a leader in digital therapeutics for dementia care. This partnership introduces a new tool called Ayla into our dementia care program. Ayla is an advanced platform specifically designed to support the preparation and delivery of a leading treatment of dementia known as Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST). Firstly, though, what is Cognitive Stimulation Therapy or CST?

What is Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST)?

Cognitive Stimulation Therapy is the most well-researched, non-pharmacological treatment for those with mild to moderate dementia care. It involves structured group sessions that are specially designed for people with dementia. As a result, they help those involved to express their views, learn new things and work with others. Group members will engage in a range of activities in a relaxed environment to stimulate thinking, memory and to connect with others. These activities include, for example:

Singing songs
Listening to music
Taking part in practical activities such as baking
Playing word games
Discussing current news stories

Research has shown that these sessions can improve cognition, quality of life, and communication. Implementing this form of treatment in care homes however comes with its own set of challenges. The staff and resources available to run these sessions, for instance, are limited. That’s where Brain+ and digital dementia care come in.

Understanding Digital Dementia Care

Brain+ are global pioneers of Cognitive Stimulation Therapy and digital dementia care, and they believe in empowering both residents and caregivers to make dementia care better. They have therefore developed Ayla – your CST Assistant to help trained facilitators bring innovative dementia care solutions to residents.

A new digital dementia care tool – Ayla

Ayla provides:

Clinically validated CST sessions that replicate products recommended by NICE and WHO
Integrated modes of therapy. This includes sensory stimulation, reminiscence and music therapy
Measurable outcomes and evidence generation. This allows us to gauge the impact of sessions and share the results with residents’ family members and regulatory bodies.
Enhanced awareness and training that enables care homes to broaden the pool of qualified facilitators and enhance awareness.

Who are Southcare Homes Group?

At Southcare Homes Group, we strive to continually enhance not only our high-quality care but our residents’ experiences and partnership only reinforces our efforts. Two of our homes, Lime Tree House in Ringmer and Grasmere Rest Home in Sutton, will be pioneering Ayla with residents. Staff will receive professional CST accreditation, and this will equip them with the expertise to deliver personalised cognitive therapy.

A resident smiling with the home manager in funny wigs

“We are delighted to partner with Brain+ to introduce Ayla – Your CST Assistant into our care homes. Dementia care is at the heart of what we do, and we are always looking for innovative ways to improve the lives of our residents. The opportunity to integrate digital CST and provide our staff with specialised training ensures that we continue to lead the way in delivering exceptional dementia support.”

– Karim Nanji, Managing Director, Southcare Homes Group

“This partnership with Southcare Homes is a defining moment for Brain+ in the UK, as it validates the potential of Ayla – Your CST Assistant in transforming dementia. The whole ethos of the home is to go above and beyond in giving the best possible care to its residents. You can really see the passion and desire to do things differently from the leadership to the wonderful care managers. We are thrilled to work with such a forward-thinking care provider, and we look forward to expanding our impact in the UK.”

– Devika Wood, CCO, Brain+

04/04/2025 / by Amber

How to Help Those with Dementia on Bonfire Night

5 Tips to Help Those with Dementia on Bonfire Night

November ushers in the autumn layers, warm drinks and firelit nights. Fireworks too. While the sound of booms, pops and whizzes are exciting for most of us, for some with dementia it can be a cause of distress. Here are some tips to help bring relief while fireworks are going off on bonfire night.

1. Stay calm

By keeping calm when another is in distress, you can provide an emotional anchor and not exacerbate the situation. Try to think about how they are feeling right now. Striving to show empathy and put yourself in their situation may help you react in a more understanding manner, no matter how they address you. Take time to consider how you will answer them.

2. Use gentle body language and a soothing tone

Linked with keeping calm is also doing your best to create a calm atmosphere. Your tone of voice can make a difference. Speaking with a soothing, gentle tone at a steady pace can help dissipate distress in someone that has dementia. Rapid, jerking movements can denote aggression so do your best to use soft, slow movements around them.

3. Create a relaxing environment

Remove anything nearby that could worsen the level of distress experienced. For instance, anything that makes sudden loud noises, overly bright lights – anything that could harass the senses could cause further distress. Minimise surrounding distractions where possible.

4. Understand the person and their needs

Knowing much about the person with dementia will help you to understand how best to help them. Once you’re aware of their personality, their background and history, it may give you an indication of what situations and stimuli may be triggering for them. Once you know what makes them tick or are aware of the underlying causes of their distress, you can be better informed to provide support and relief.

5. Provide opportunities for meaningful engagement

It’s not enough just to create a relaxing environment. The sounds of fireworks are likely to permeate. So, keep them occupied in an activity that is meaningful and one they find enjoyable. Reassure them with your presence, words and active engagement. Validating their feelings helps shift their focus away from the noise and may help calm the person down.

Resident holding a sparkler in garden — A previous Bonfire Night at Highbury House, Rottingdean. A dear resident enjoying the fun of sparklers!

There are great benefits to either hosting or attending a bonfire night celebration for residents. And the above tips can be used in any distressing situation. We wish you all the best with bonfire season and hope as many as possible can enjoy it.

21/10/2024 / by Amber

Highbury House Celebrates Good Care Month with Samba

Highbury Ho use Nursing Home in Rottingdean held their annual Summer Party, and this year the theme was Samba! They were lucky enough to have the amazing Silver Sounds join us who are Brighton’s senior samba band.

Musicians playing on percussive instruments before an elderly audience

Residents, relatives, friends and staff all enjoyed the party which included a BBQ and plenty of fun and games. Residents had great fun listening to the drums and percussion and even got to join in playing their own instruments.

Relatives and friends got to spend a special day with their loved one, which can sometimes be difficult in a nursing home when not all residents are able to venture outside of the home, the party was a day they could spend together with a slight change of scenery with the dining room being taken over by the band.

A side view of musicians playing on percussive instruments with a natural backdrop

The Highbury team were more than happy to join in ensuring our residents had the best day.

The team were a huge part of making this day a great one for our residents. Their hard work and dedication shined through. It was a time for us to all be together as one big family.

For more updates, follow Highbury House on Facebook

At Southcare Homes Group, we support and value the dedication carers put into their work in making life in our homes special for every one of our residents. We also feel that it’s essential to celebrate and appreciate the importance of carers and the wonderful job that they do. Find out more about our team here.

09/08/2024 / by Amber

Our Homes Say Happy Chinese New Year!

Two nursing homes, Highbury House in Rottingdean and Freshford Cottage in Seaford, had a great time celebrating Chinese New Year. 2022 is the year of the Tiger. If your birthday falls under this year, you’re said to be a born leader, courageous and inspiring.

To celebrate this special day, residents at Highbury House wrote a note to those they miss, those they care about or those that inspire them. We then turned those notes into beautiful, vibrant Chinese lanterns. Some then decorated their lanterns with tiger faces. Of course, we had a themed meal of Spring rolls and some fortune cookies in there, just for fun.

Freshford Cottage also ushered in the Chinese New Year in style. Residents were helped to write their name in Chinese characters which was very fun and write down what Chinese year they were born in (turns out we didn’t have any tigers). But we did create a tiger-themed tea trolley, bedecked with lanterns and dragons! It went round to all the residents’ rooms, dropping off goodies and spreading New Year festivities.

We hope you all have a prosperous year! To find more about these homes, visit www.southcarehomes.com or visit their Facebook pages: @FreshfordCottage @HighburyHouseRottingdean

04/02/2022 / by Amber

Southcare Homes Raise over £500 for Macmillan Cancer Support

All our homes had a terrific time raise funds and awareness for the outstanding charity, Macmillan Cancer Support and their annual Biggest Ever Coffee Morning.

Mad Hatter’s Tea Party at Highbury House… that’s right, a tea party for a coffee morning – mad I tell you!

Highbury House and their wonderful Mad Hatter Tea Party! It was a day full of colour, craziness and cakes! A massive thanks to local businesses, such as Tesco, The Trellis Restaurant, S.A. Devesons Groceries, The White Horse Hotel, Rottingdean, Shane’s kitchen, Budgens. They all generously donated prizes for our Raffle! Also thanks to our heroic staff! They even brought in their own whacky outfits! We had Alice in Wonderland playing in our outdoor cinema, and a stunning themed cake created in house! Thanks to all our relatives that joined – even getting hats for their pets to wear! What a day!

Relatives and friends of Lime Tree House were able to join for a virtual cup of coffee for their Macmillan Morning. Their fabulous chef, Toby, made coconut and jam, Victoria sponge, carrot cake and Laura, our new activities coordinator made her oh-so-fabulous ginger cake!

Grasmere also managed to raise over £100 while also managing to work their way through an assortment of beautiful homemade cakes! They had a quiz, and even a jolly good game of beerpong (minus the beer though)!

A selection of sweet sponges to delight and tempt made their way onto the cake table at Heatherdene’s Coffee Morning. We are so grateful for the enthusiasm from our residents, staff, family and friends who not only raised the roof but managed to raise over £100 towards the charity. Thank you all for making our coffee morning such a sweet success!

Freshford Cottage’s Macmillan Coffee Morning was also a great success! You can see pictures and find out more details by visiting their Facebook page.

20/10/2021 / by Amber

Grasmere’s First Trip Out with Oomph! Wellness

At the end of August, our residents had an amazing day on our first outing with Oomph Wellness! Our activities coordinator, Antony, arranged a trip with them to the stunning Kew Gardens in London. We had a smooth journey up to London and Oomph! made sure that all was well before our journey.

Outside the Orangery, we had a homemade picnic and afterwards took a beautiful walk down The Great Broad Walk Borders that had colourful flowers in the borders. Residents were amazed by the Weeping Beech Tree which had the most incredible looking trunk.

Conservatories & Cacti

Later, we made our way through the Princess of Wales Conservatory. It had a vast collection of Cacti and exotic plants. One of our residents, Valerie, said, “It was lovely being in the fresh air and being together with nice company. I was fascinated by the cacti.” Valerie even bought one as memento of her trip at the gift shop.

The day was finished with a walk through the vast Rock Garden. Of course, we also had to stop for a nice cup of tea. The beautiful views, fresh air and lots of laughter is what we all needed! Jean, one of our dear residents, said, “It exceeded my expectations and I saw parts of Kew I’d never seen before.” She concluded, “I was very taken by the trip.”

Thank you Oomph! Wellness for a lovely trip

Thank you to all the staff from Oomph Wellness for driving our residents to the gardens. Neil, our driver, was superb! He even changed our pick-up point as our party were very tired at the end of their full day. Thanks also to our Activities Coordinator, Antony, for organising this amazing trip. A Big thank you also to Debbie and Ioana for taking such a good care of the residents during the outing. Now, our residents can’t wait to go back to The Royal Botanical Gardens! Audrey said, “I would like to go again as I would like to see the other parts of Kew we were not able to see.” We look forward to our next outing with Oomph!

01/09/2021 / by Amber

Summer Olympics for Freshford Residents

To mark the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Freshford Cottage have started their own tournaments! Our contestants were well-trained and kept staff on their toes! There were plenty of lively activities and even some water sports during the spell of hot weather we had.

Our first round included balloon-tennis and darts. Residents certainly gave staff a run for their money! Balloon tennis was full of laughter and enjoyed by both staff and residents. We also had a darts tournament which really put staff in the hands of residents as Velcro balls were launched at the target (held by a brave member of staff).

Two of our residents enjoying balloon tennis with a diligent umpire helping out.

The day finished with ‘clay pigeon’ shooting… well, rubber duck shooting in our case… with water guns but the concentration levels and competitive spirits were certainly just as high. The sun even made an appearance and residents even braved the pool for our diving competition! Only joking, no diving in paddling pools. But, if there was a competition for relaxing in a paddling pool, though, our residents would certainly get gold! our big Olympic tournament was a grand success, and we can’t wait until next time!

Everyone enjoyed reminiscing over childhood memories and good times in the sun as well as remembering fun times with their children and grandchildren. We can’t wait until the weather gets better again and we can enjoy some more fun in the sun!

23/08/2021 / by Amber

Author: Amber