Meet Our Team

Sandy Atkins

General Manager

What I do:
As the general manager I am responsible for the day to day management of the home. I support and lead every department and team member to ensure we deliver quality care and the best home experience we can to our wonderful residents. It is also very important for me to be available for our residents and their families, to remind them my door is always open and they are welcome!

My experience:
I have had the privilege of working in care since the age of 17. My very first role was as a care assistant and then I worked hard to gain the qualifications and experience to become a registered nurse specialising in Orthopedics. I have always had a passion for working with our elderly population and transitioned over to the social care sector. I have worked within both large and small organisations and have been in a variety of roles including ‘Head of Care and Operations Director’. After a career change joining Hampshire constabulary for a period of 6 years my heart took me back to working again with the elderly which I love.

About me:
My out-of-office activities have included obtaining the rank of Captain in the Territorial Army, something I am very proud of.

I really enjoy keeping active in various sports including bootcamp and I am currently training for a 100 mile walking challenge.

I very much look forward to meeting you at Wellington Vale.

Lisseth Mendonca

Support Services Manager

What I do:
I am the Support Services Manager of Wellington Vale, responsible for the hospitality departments in the home. Since joining this amazing team at Cinnamon my daily aim is to deliver the best person centred care to all our residents and daily to see the smiles on residents faces as they feel at home in our Care Homes.

My Experience:
I’ve been living in UK for 7 years now progressing my career as Hospitality Services Manager that forms part of the Support Services Function. I work closely with the Care & Quality Team and I absolutely love what I do, helping to consistently deliver an outstanding service that the residents deserve.

About me:
I am Portuguese, from Madeira island. I am the mother of twins; a boy and a girl that are two years old which are my bundles of joy.
We love to travel and spend time with family and friends.

Helen Cox

Home Admissions Advisor

What I Do
As the Home Admission Advisor I am the main point of contact for new residents and their families. I guide and support them through the decision process of choosing a care home by providing them with information on the choice of our care options, facilities and the expertise of our team. The best way for residents and families to ‘feel’ our beautiful home is to tour it so I love to show them around and give them an opportunity to see for themselves everything we have to offer and to meet our incredible team!

My Experience
I returned to the UK in 2012 after working in Ibiza & Italy within the Tourism sector for 14 years. On my return I joined the music and entertainment industry, managing DJs and acts from home before venturing back out into the workplace and joining the Wellington Vale team.

About Me
I live locally with my husband Tim, my son Luca and stepchildren Harry and Lucy, not forgetting Sox our beautiful 3 yr old collie. We have a very busy household with a new addition arriving in February, a baby Grandson so I am trying to get used to being called Nanny!

Breda O’Doherty

Activities Coordinator

My name is Breda O’Doherty and I am the Senior Activity Co-ordinator here at Wellington Vale.

I have worked in many industries and I am both a qualified teacher and a trainer which helps me when planning activities to ensure they are inclusive and meaningful.

I am currently a practicing and qualified holistic therapist and I have been a sport coach; these skills help me when planning mind and wellbeing activities alongside physical activities such as Zing which is our inhouse exercise class.
I previously have owned my own entertainment company which catered for entertainment, events and charity fund raising.
I believe in being part of a larger community which is why I enjoy working with the Home Admission Advisor to promote community engagement and events such as Parties, Fetes, and gatherings. We have links with the local schools and nurseries alongside local choir and dance groups to interact within our home with residents. I also facilitate outings to places of interest like a trip to the Sea-life Centre, a Zoo visit, local shops, the seaside, and castles. Our residents pick the location and I compose a risk assessment to ensure the safety of residents on their outings.

Part of my role is to recruit and train volunteers to work in the home offering services such as Pet Therapy, Knitting Groups, Friendship and Support.

My role is to design an Activity Plan for each month that is inclusive, exciting, and fun. The activities promote mental wellbeing, physical strength, and social interaction. The activity plans include resident’s hobbies and interests, cultures, beliefs, and the opportunity to learn new skills. Here at Wellington Vale we are one big family, and all team members join in the fun whether it is a fancy-dress party, arts and crafts, baking or one to one activity. Our most popular activities are our monthly themes of food and activities from all around the world, music entertainers and animal visits.

John Hussey

Maintenance Manager

What I do:
It is my responsibility to ensure Wellington Vale is a safe environment for our residents to live and our staff to work in. I also ensure the building and grounds always look good and are maintained to the high standards set by Cinnamon Care Collection. I am proud that my team support our residents to feel like they are at ‘home’ here at Wellington Vale.

My experience:
I have 15+ years’ experience in the construction industry. This involved operating machinery, completing electrical and carpentry work as well as fitting high end kitchen suites.

About me:
I am very passionate and driven to provide the best experience for our residents and enjoy chatting with them and helping them along their day.

Cindy Burns

Head Housekeeper

What I do:
I am the head housekeeper here at Wellington Vale. My role is to manage the housekeeping team effectively so that the whole home including resident rooms and communal areas is kept clean and tidy. It is also my responsibility to ensure the laundry service that we provide to our residents is of a high standard.

My experience:
I started working for Cinnamon Care at Wellington Vale not long after it opened in 2017. My dedication and hard work as a general housekeeper were quickly noticed and I was promoted to head housekeeper within a few months. I have enjoyed watching the team grow and now have a wonderful team of seven working alongside me.

About me:
I am a very sociable person and love to walk in my spare time. I also enjoy supporting my granddaughter with her doggie day-care business.

Samuel Sewell

Head Chef

What I do:
As the head chef at Wellington Vale, I am responsible for providing a healthy, well-balanced variety of meals and snacks to our residents every day. My amazing team and I enjoy creating seasonal and themed menus on special days of the year which our residents love! It is important to me that every resident looks forward to mealtimes and their meals are packed with nutrition and include any special dietary requirements.

My experience:
I have been lucky to work in some beautiful restaurants, in particular Head Chef at ‘The Canteen’, Chef de Partie at ‘The Briny’ (AA Rosette 1 star) and Sous Chef at ‘The Elsted Inn’ in the heart of the Southdowns.

About me:
I have a great passion for cooking and love to bring a restaurant standard to Wellington Vale. I am really looking forward to implementing my ideas and creativity in the future. I love to sing and dance around the home and I am really enjoying getting to know each resident. I am a family man and have a beautiful daughter Ivy.