elderly Archives - Southcare Homes Group

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

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

Care Home in Ringmer Celebrates Ascot with Horse Parade

Residents and staff at Lime Tree House Care Home in Ringmer, Lewes donned their best hats and outfits for Royal Ascot. However, this year, we had to adapt and adjust this very much awaited event due to the current situation, but the fun was guaranteed.

A Surprise for Ladies’ Day

The residents at Lime Tree House received a pleasant surprise on Ladies Day! Hannah, the granddaughter of one of our residents, brought her pony, Rory, and her horse, Woody, to our care home! We had an outside parade to mark this day. Our two equestrian guests were exceptionally well mannered and enjoyed the attention from our residents and staff.

Horsing Around: Little Rory shows us his best side as he trots round the car park. (Lime Tree House, Care Home in Ringmer)

Creating Meaningful Links with Our Community

Community engagement is very important to us. Every member of staff greatly appreciates and values each resident as an individual. That’s why we host events like these, to show our dear residents how much they mean to us, as well as to others in our local area.

“It was such a delight to be able to put on a show for the lovely residents at Lime Tree House. We are constantly looking for new ways to engage with our local community. This experience will stay with all of us for a long time. It was so good to see the smiles on their faces and being able to do something meaningful for all of them”.
Hannah, Owner of Rory The Pony

“It was so lovely to see all our residents and staff horsing around and enjoying the event. Their smiles where wide as a furlong. Our sincere thanks to our resident’s relatives for getting involved and making this happen”.
Julie MCPHATER, care home manager

What is Lime Tree House like?

Lime Tree House is a residential care home in Ringmer, part of Southcare Homes Group. This family-run business provides high-quality, person-centred care and a unique way of life for the elderly. Our dedicated care providers staff strive to create happy homes and always work with a smile. Lime Tree House provides residential and respite care for the elderly. New residents are more than welcome and we always ensure we are there for those who need care and support.

Keeping everyone safe is also a priority for us. That’s why we have an unambiguous admission policy and robust infection control protocols. We are always putting the needs of our residents and their loved ones first. As a result, we are rising to every challenge this pandemic throws our way. Please give us a call if you are looking for care or need further help: 01273 813 755. You can also visit our website, www.southcarehomes.com/. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook.

18/06/2021 / by Amber

Tag: elderly