The unstoppable heart of Newlands.

Submitted by MattAllen on Fri, 09/24/2021 - 12:58

Meet Lucy Biggs.

Lucy is in her eighth year at Newlands. She started as General Manager then swiftly moved to become our Operations Director. Following an extensive career in nursing she is passionate and energetic in upholding her core values of care, support and honest communication on every level. It’s something you can see in action day after day and night after night, with residents, their families and all the teams at Newlands. It makes sense to let you hear what drives Lucy in her own words... 

“I qualified as a Registered Nurse some 23 years ago and from Orthopaedics went into District Nursing and completed a Masters in Prescribing in 2002 whilst working in order to help improve practise standards. However what I saw was a steady cut back in NHS service delivery and constant compromise. I needed to get where I could do the job I wanted. And that’s here at Newlands. 

Teams that are completely empathetic 
Everything at Newlands is tried and tested. It’s the dream. It’s about having your own beautiful cottage or apartment where you’re treated with dignity and respect; discreet care where and when you need it; hospitality services how and when you want. 
I believe in teams that are completely empathetic. When we were presented with the fear of this novel and dangerous virus and a world of face masks, lockdowns and Zoom calls, this created a high level of anxiety for residents, staff and their respective families. I have to say that our staff moved heaven and earth to support our residents, their own lives went on hold. They worked solidly as a team, you couldn’t have asked for more. With so many anxieties and unknowns I made myself available round the clock to address any concerns or questions. So even if they had a wobble at 2am they could call me and they did - it’s how we support each other through constant change. 

Sales and enduring relationships 
It may be a bit of a cliché but dealing with prospective buyers and residents of Newlands’ properties is a journey. In some cases that can be very fast or take one or two years depending on the individual circumstances. It’s totally understandable because moving at a late stage in your life is a huge decision which requires answers to questions and on going support. 
I feel it’s a 365 day a year role. I love it. Why? It’s because I believe so much in what we offer that I don’t feel it’s selling. I just talk naturally about what we do.” 

COVID THOUGHTS 
Lucy was too modest to mention this but a resident’s family member was so impressed with all she had done for them that they put her name forward to be included in a 2021 publication of a book entitled COVID THOUGHTS created by Gemma Levine. So she features alongside many others including Baroness Joan Bakewell, William Boyd, Sir Karl Jenkins, Joanna Lumley and Terry Waite. To namedrop just a few.