Ridgewood Lodge

Registered Manager

Mark Gamble

I started care work in a small specialist home with two service users in July 2011. I worked with a guy who had severe learning difficulties and was extremely aggressive, this SU was 4 to 1 when I started due to the level of aggression. This SU was receiving appropriate care, was kept in all the time and was just contained. I, with the help of a friend who joined shortly after me broke this cycle by encouraging this SU to get out and about and over the course of 5 years brought his package down to 2 to 1. This service user was getting out and about all the time and much happier, this is one of my proudest achievements.

I then went on to domiciliary care in and around Penzance for five years and for the last two years prior to joining Carmel Care I worked with Addaction at the same time as doing domiciliary care in the evenings and weekends. At Addaction, who are now called We Are With You, I worked with the national lottery and the European communities fund to get people back into work or education. During my time there my team managed to get near 800 people who were on benefits back into steady work or education.

I joined Carmel Care as a manager for Ridgewood and Ridgewood Lodge in early February. Since joining I have passed my fit person interview to become registered manager, I have also had our first five-point inspection from CQC since registering as mental health and LD assisted living, and received and good rating on all five points. I couldn’t have done this without my amazing managers and staff who have been so welcoming and helpful from the very start and have worked so hard nor without the support of Becky Foster or Essa.

I absolutely love my job and I am so proud of what we are achieving here for our service users.