In early June 2023, Oaktree Court Care Home, situated in the beautiful market town of Wellington welcomed an exceptional new management team.

With a vision to put this wonderful place back on the Somerset map within their local community, Julia Heneker and Saffron Flower are already making an impact.

Oaktree Court care home is a beautiful former mansion house nestled in over 14 acres of beautiful Somerset countryside. The home provides all-inclusive residential, respite, nursing and dementia care. They take great pride in delivering unique, person-centered care in a home filled with love, kindness and friendship.

Somerset County Gazette: Oaktree Care Home's new home manager Julia is passionate about keeping residents healthy and happy.Oaktree Care Home's new home manager Julia is passionate about keeping residents healthy and happy. (Image: Oaktree Care Home)

New home manager Julia began her career in nursing when she was just 18 years old, completing her training in Bristol. She then began working in intensive care in 1995 which is where she met Saffron, Oaktree Court’s new Deputy Manager. From here, Julia went on to hone her management skills by working on a variety of projects for NHS England, Somerset Care and the CCG. Whilst she loved her work, she soon realised how much she missed working with her teams, her residents and their families, which led her back to her true passion in older people care homes.

We asked Julia what she loves about her work: “It’s the depth in every day - I can be writing a report one moment and then enjoying a walk and giggle with a resident the next! To me, nothing is more important than seeing our residents healthy and happy, and I believe I’m in an enviable position where I get to work with some incredible people to make this happen every single day.”

Somerset County Gazette: Saffron has had a fulfilling career spanning almost 30 years working within the NHS.Saffron has had a fulfilling career spanning almost 30 years working within the NHS. (Image: Oaktree Care Home)

Saffron, Julia’s partner in crime and long-standing work ally and friend, has also become an integral part of the Oaktree Court community. She trained as a nurse at the Royal Berkshire hospital in Reading, before relocating with her family to the beautiful Somerset county in 1991. Enjoying a hugely rich and fulfilling career working within the NHS for almost 30 years, Saffron spent over 18 years in intensive care and most recently as a matron overseeing numerous departments at the Bristol and Dorchester hospital.

When in October 2022, she got a call from Julia to come and join her in the care home community, Saffron knew she’d found her niche. She says: “I love what I do. It’s so different being able to share in someone's life, to get to know who they are, and be part of their home.” 

Somerset County Gazette: Oaktree Care Home provides all-inclusive residential, respite, nursing and dementia care.Oaktree Care Home provides all-inclusive residential, respite, nursing and dementia care. (Image: Oaktree Care Home)

Being part of a small team where Saffron can bring her vast clinical experience to lead and coach her team is something that believes is so important for the role. “It’s wonderful to be back on the floor providing day-to-day guidance and supervision, I’m really excited to develop our passionate team!” 

What strikes you most about this new management team at Oaktree Court care home is their drive and determination to make the home everything it should be for their teams, the residents and their wider Somerset community. When you meet Julia and Saffron, you understand that they’ve both found exactly where they are meant to be.

For more information about life at Oaktree Court care home in Wellington, or if you’re interested in joining their team and want to find out more, visit majesticare.co.uk/oaktree-court or call 01823 662032 to book a tour of the home.