bexhill Archives - Southcare Homes Group

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.

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.

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Southcare Homes Hosts their First Recognition & Awards Night