Meet our nursing team, the experts in clinical care
The registered nurses in our nursing team come with years of clinical expertise and experience under their belts, enabling us to provide safe and personalised care for people with more complex healthcare needs.
The clinical care team works with continuing healthcare (CHC) teams and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to arrange fast-track home care packages that enable people to live in the comfort of their own homes.
Learn more about our nursing care services or get in touch with our team of clinical experts today to find out more.
Head of Clinical Care
Melanie Dawson, Registered Nurse and Registered Manager
Having been with Helping Hands for 16 years, Melanie heads up the team enabling us to provide support for people with more complex healthcare needs who want to continue living at home with a degree of choice andindependence. She regularly meets customers who believed that staying at home would not be possible.
“Live-in care at home is bespoke. It’s one-to-one,” Melanie explained.
“I have the pleasure of working with a multi-talented team who bring a breadth of experience in clinical intervention. We are able to follow a clear path of developing and supporting our customers with a wide variety of clinical, physical and emotional needs, enabling them to achieve their ultimate aim of living in their own home with choice and dignity.”
Melanie is a Registered Manager with the Care Quality Commission and Registered Nurse with the Nursing & Midwifery Council.
Meet our Clinical Nurse Specialists
Helen Dautrive, Registered Nurse
Helen has a wealth of experience to draw upon, having qualified as a Registered Nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Council in 1986 and worked in a variety of nursing roles since then.
She is always excited to work with people who are committed to care and have a positive attitude, enabling customers to remain at home and connect with their community.
“I worked for the NHS for 26 years,” Helen explained. “After that, I moved into the commercial sector in a care agency. As well as providing physical care, the work I do here is all about promoting independence and enjoyment, which is very important to me.”
I truly believe that everyone deserves – and should be entitled to – nursing-led live-in care at home, regardless of illness, disability or financial circumstance.
Melanie Dawson, Head of Clinical Care
Julie May, Registered Nurse
Julie has experienced many different professional settings, including hospice and district nursing. Her expertise is focused on making a positive impact to her customers and their families.
“To me, it is fundamental that care remains a choice,” she said. “A choice that is made by the person as an individual wherever possible, and one that involves that person in the planning of their care.”
Julie is a Registered Nurse with the Nursing & Midwifery Council. She began working as the clinical lead/deputy manager in a nursing home in 2014 and later went on to complete further training with the NHS Leadership Academy, a programme that aims to help care leaders to improve patient experiences.
Samantha Atkins, Registered Nurse
Samantha has been with Helping Hands for some time and loves being able to help customers stay in their own homes with tailored care to suit their individual needs.
Samantha explained, “My most recent experience has been as the clinical lead/deputy manager in a nursing home, covering areas such as palliative care, dementia care, and chronic conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Parkinson’s disease and heart failure.”
Samantha is extremely passionate about care and she will always go the extra mile for her customers. She is a Registered Nurse with the Nursing & Midwifery Council.
Louise Bentley, Registered Nurse
Louise has over 20 years’ experience within the care sector, including holding key positions such as a Head of Clinical and as a Care Quality Commission Registered Manager. She is committed to ensuring that the people she supports with packages of person-centred care are happy and that their needs are fully met.
Louise explained, “It’s important to me that our customers at Helping Hands have the chance to be open to every possible opportunity. I try and remove barriers which may be preventing that from happening without compromising their safety.
“When I first qualified as a nurse, I decided to go into critical care, working in theatres and intensive treatment units before becoming a continuing care team leader. At the same time, I was able to work in the paediatric sector with children who had been diagnosed with complex conditions and life limiting illnesses.”
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We’re here seven days a week to talk through your home care needs and find the best option for you. Call 03300376958 or request a callback and we will call you.
