Meet the new manager of Beaumont Park nursing home in Biggleswade - who wants to help residents reconnect with the community

A new manager has been welcomed to a Biggleswade nursing home - and she's looking forward to helping residents reconnect with the community.

Jeanette Whitbread has taken the reins as home manager at Beaumont Park.

She said: "I love the care sector and I’m very passionate about care delivery

"Residents have lost some of their sense of connection to their local community during Covid, so I’m really keen to start rebuilding that.”

Jeanette has 20 years’ experience working in both the care and charity sectors prior to joining Beaumont Park. She was the registered manager of a MENCAP home for 15 years where she was responsible for the care and wellbeing of residents ranging in age from 18 to 60.

She then joined Leonard Cheshire, a charity that provides support to disabled people through a variety of services including care at home, residential care and training and skills programmes. Here she was a Quality Manager, auditing care homes to assess quality compliance across the northwest of England and Northern Ireland.

Jeanette now brings all that experience to the running of Beaumont Park, which is rated ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission.

She is also passionate about introducing students and young people to the care profession and has started a programme for Health & Social Care undergraduates at nearby North Hertfordshire College.

Students come into the home to gain experience and knowledge alongside their degree programme.

“They’re doing the academic theory at college – and we’re providing the practical on the ground experience," Jeanette explained.

“Residents love it. Students are able to give our residents valuable one-to-one time. They learn about the residents’ lives, what life was like in years gone by. And the residents learn about the young peoples’ lives.”

Beaumont Park which is located on Shortmead Street in Biggleswade has around 35 skilled staff in wide range of roles, from care and nursing to maintenance and administration.

For more information on the range of services provided at Beaumont Park, call 01767 313131 or visit www.healthcarehomes.co.uk