Meet Our Team

Sue Simmonds

General Manager

What I do:
I am the Registered Manager for the care home and am responsible for our Retirement Village, care facilities, and staff management. I also have responsibility for the 48 Independent Living Apartments on the site, ensuring that the service contract is adhered to and that the individuals living there are able to live life fully with the comfort of living in a supported and busy care village.

My experience:
I am a Registered Nurse by background, specialising in the care of older people. I have experience in hospital care, teaching, regulation, and care homes. I have managed care homes for twenty years working for a small number of different providers. I have managed large care homes encompassing nursing, dementia, and residential care.

About me:
I grew up mainly in South East London and moved to Kent to undertake my nurse training, where I met my husband, Chris. I have three children and four grandchildren. I live in a small village in Kent with Chris and our 2 Irish Setters, Mabel and Archie.

Aadil Baig

Resident Services Advisor

What I do:
As often the first point of contact at Emerson, I showcase our development and give an insight into the fantastic lifestyle we offer.

I understand that moving, whether downsizing to one of our apartments or into our care home, is a highly emotional experience and I support and guide our residents and their families through the process both offering advice and ensuring a smooth and timely move.

My experience:
I joined Cinnamon with over a decade of experience in both corporate and independent residential estate agency managing various departments over the years from front-line Sales & Lettings through to Property Management.

About me:
I am a proud husband and a father to two beautiful daughters and enjoy spending as much time as possible with my family both at home and abroad, sharing our love of travel. I am an avid sports fan and in my spare time can often be found on the cricket field, golf course or watching American Football.

Aileen Nimmo

Resident Services Advisor

What I do:
As a Resident Services Advisor I support families who are considering a change in their current living situation, sometimes as a choice and sometimes due to necessity. My role is both rewarding and fulfilling and brings me great satisfaction as no two days are ever the same, just as no two people are ever the same.
My aim is to support families to make the decision that is right for them and their loved ones. I appreciate that moving, whether downsizing to one of our apartments or into our care home, is a highly emotional experience and I am support and guide our residents and their families through the process both offering advice and ensuring a smooth and timely move.

My experience:
I have been working in the care industry for over 20 years. My initial role as an activity coordinator provided me the wonderful opportunity to get to know residents and learn about them as individuals. I have worked both regionally and at home level in a variety of roles. As a member of the Emerson park team I endeavour to continue with my commitment to support residents, their families and my colleagues in ensuring that our home is a great place to live and work in.

About me:
I am lucky to have a large family around me and when I am spending time away from work, I love to enjoy the company of those I Love. I enjoy gardening, walking, reading. I am a secret twitcher and can get overly excited when I see a rare bird.

Karen Norris

Care Services Manager

What I do:
I joined Emerson Grange Nursing home in May 2023 and was appointed as the Care Services Manager. I am responsible for the nursing and care delivery within the care home, managing all care staff, and ensuring that the quality of the services provided meets the national care standards.

My Experience:
I am a caring, compassionate, and dedicated Registered Nurse. I qualified from University of Greenwich with an Adult Nursing degree in 2016. I have worked in various healthcare settings which include cardiac nursing. I then moved to prison nursing within the primary care setting managing various long-term conditions and medical emergencies. I was then promoted to charge nurse whereby I began to support and manage staff. I left the NHS to develop further in a managerial role as a Clinical Deputy manager within the private nursing home sector.

About Me: I grew up in Kent and currently live with my two sons Jack and Harrison. I enjoy spending time with my family including my Staffordshire bull terrier Bleau. I am a keen traveller and have been to many interesting places including Thailand, Dominican Republic, and Miami.

Violet Martin

Deputy Care Services Manager

What I do:
I joined the Emerson team in September 2023 and have enjoyed working alongside my colleagues as deputy care services manager supporting our residents living with dementia. Together we make aim to make a difference to the daily lives of every individual living with us. It is a role I love as I have a passion for supporting people living with dementia.

My experience:
I have been working in the care sector for over 10 years. Early in my career I recognised that my heart was in supporting people living with dementia and their loved ones as no two days are ever the same. I am proud to have progressed from carer to Deputy care services manager and love the difference I can make.

About me:
I have a lovely family and enjoy spending days out with them visiting various places of interest, as a history nerd! I am especially interested in topics related to world wars.
Making memories with my loved ones is a priority for me.

Head Chef

Richard Callingham

What I do:
As a seasoned Head Chef, I am delighted to be working at Emerson Grange overseeing a team of people dedicated to providing the best possible dining experience for our residents.

My Experience:
I specialize in crafting innovative menus, prioritizing fresh, local ingredients picked from the garden of England. Boasting over three decades of culinary experience, I’ve honed my skills in various establishments globally, with the last 25 years dedicated myself to London’s culinary scene.

About Me:
A family man at heart, I originate from Kent and find joy in maintaining a professional balance. Beyond the kitchen, my interests span music, with a proficiency in guitar, and a keen appreciation for piano concertos which I attend with my eldest son. Committed to providing the best food to my customers, my greatest satisfaction comes from witnessing the enjoyment of people savouring my dishes.

Oksana Rutkauskiene

Housekeeping Supervisor

My Experience:
I have had 14 years of experience in Housekeeping industry and worked in luxury 5* serviced apartments, where I gain an excellent customer service skills, ability to work independently and as part of a team. I am passionate to providing outstanding care and cleaning service for all residence to make home an amazing place to be.

About me:
I was born in Lithuania and can speak two additional languages; Lithuanian and Russian.  I like spending time with my family, camping or just exploring nice and new places. Also cycling, going to the theatre and I enjoy traveling the world.

Jamie Bushnell

Maintenance Manager

What I do:
My role at Emerson is to keep the building and grounds maintained to the highest standard. I make sure that all the equipment in the home is working correctly, as well as making sure it’s serviced and certificated. I also make sure that Emerson is a safe environment for the residents, visitors and staff.

My experience:
I am a qualified electrician having completed an intensive 2-year apprenticeship. During my time working for my Dads business, I carried out a wide variety of jobs including fitting bathrooms, tiling, central heating repairs and roofing. I then joined a student accommodation company, carrying out maintenance on a 400-bed building for students of the Royal College of Music.

About me:
Originally from Reading, I moved to the area in 2015 before getting married to my wife. Most of my free time outside of work is spent with my running club, training, coaching the club’s youngsters or running around a muddy field doing cross country! I’ve also taken up road cycling over the past year with the aim of one day completing a triathlon.

Vivienne Brosnan

Administrator

What I do:
As Administrator, my role is to ensure the smooth running of the administrative functions in the home to support the General Manager. In this I am ably supported by two full-time Reception Administrators and a part-time Recruitment Administrator.

My Experience
The Administration tasks cover payroll and all HR matters from initial recruitment to leaving employment, including providing minutes for a variety of meetings; sales ledger for residents and apartment owners, purchase ledger transactions, bank reconciliations, and petty cash. There are many ad hoc tasks as well as dealing with queries relating to sales and purchase invoices. No two days are the same and I enjoy the variety and challenge of getting things done when plans go awry!

I have worked as an Administrator in a care home for more than 15 years and always enjoy the sense of being part of a team with my colleagues, doing our best for the residents and their families.

About Me
Outside work I enjoy walking, with or without my dog, cycling, gardening, reading and visiting my daughter who lives in Bath.

Joseph Stratford

Activities Co-ordinator

What I do:
I am the Activities Co-ordinator at Emerson Park.

My Experience:
My career in healthcare started in 2020 as a way to support myself through my degree at Queen Mary’s University London. Upon completion of my degree, I continued my journey as an Activities Assistant at a home in Dorset, rising up to become an Activities Coordinator at the same home. I moved to Kent in December 2023, looking to continue my professional development as the Head of Activities at Emerson Grange.

About me:
Much of my time outside of work is taken up by my various hobbies. A keen sportsman, I represented my university in four different sports (football, rugby, cricket & hockey), and still try to balance these sports throughout the year. During my degree in Drama, I became a keen student of Film, with a particular fondness for the Mission Impossible franchise, Bond and the works of Edgar Wright. In my spare time, I study Visual Effects and combine this with my childhood dream job, of being a stuntman, to create action packed short films.