Paula is Treasurer of Care Home Volunteers. Paula is a qualified accountant with a background in the commercial sector. She has used her financial, strategic and analytical skills to manage businesses and devise and implement viable business plans. Much of her career has been spent with KPMG. She is interested in supporting charitable organisations to fulfil their objectives in a financially viable way. She is particular keen to contribute to improving the lives of the vulnerable, both young and old.
Natalie is a fundraising professional with over ten years’ experience in the charity sector. She also volunteers with two sail training charities and is a trustee with a grant-making charity in the outdoor education sector. Natalie is keen to bring her fundraising and marketing skills to Care Home Volunteers to ensure that older people continue to enjoy friendship and companionship with the support of fantastic volunteers.
Gillian retired after more than 40 years spent working in and around social care and health. A qualified social worker, she developed a very keen interest in services for older people and spent several years working with companies providing residential and care services mainly in Wiltshire and Gloucestershire. Gillian was recently appointed as Chair of Healthwatch Wiltshire.
Sue is recently retired from a career in local government, initially as a librarian and a project manager and, for the last thirty years working in social care. She has held lead roles in policy, performance and, most recently, as a head of commissioning for adult care services. Sue feels strongly that people who use care services should be engaged and involved and that they feel supported to have a voice. She is also a firm believer in evidence-based practice and is keen that we can demonstrate how different services can make a positive impact on people’s lives. Sue has been a volunteer adult literacy tutor and a befriender for Age UK. She has a personal interest in health research and, as a public/patient involvement representative, contributes to a number of academic research projects.
Heather started her working life in education and then took on the role of CEO in the voluntary sector before qualifying as a social worker. Her 25-year career in social care has included working in adult care teams based in the community, in hospitals and in GP surgeries. She has managed a safeguarding team and hospital-based teams. For 3 years she was Head of Adult Safeguarding and Quality Assurance in Wiltshire. Now semi-retired she works alongside nurses in a Continuing Health Care Team. Heather brings a knowledge of safeguarding and the interface between social care and health services. She has visited many nursing and residential care homes throughout her career and worked with vulnerable residents so is fully aware of the importance of maintaining links with the
outside community for improved quality of life, it is for this reason that she is delighted to be a trustee of the Care Home Volunteers.