Meet Our Team

Gayle Burn

General Manager

What I do:
I am very proud to lead our lovely, dedicated team at Hartwood House.  We have a wonderful team who make a real difference to the lives of residents living at Hartwood house.  We put our residents first and provide a professional, friendly and supportive environment ensuring our residents receive the highest level of care.

My Experience:
My nursing experience has been one of my great joys in life. I completed my adult nursing, psychiatric nursing, occupational health and midwifery training in South Africa. We moved to the UK in 1999 and I worked in the hospital setting in several roles and became Director of nursing. We moved from London to Lyndhurst in 2018 and I joined Hartwood House. I have thoroughly enjoyed working at Hartwood House. Supporting the elderly and residents with dementia has brought another joyous dimension to my nursing experience.

About Me:
I enjoy living in the forest and the outdoors. My passion is my job and working in the care industry has brought me great joy in my life.

My husband and I enjoy the outdoors and feel very privileged to live and work in such a beautiful part of the UK. I have a son and daughter, both of whom have entered the medical world, our son is a Dr in research and my daughter works for a medical consultant. I believe that person-centred care is central to our residents, to deliver excellent care. Our relationship with our residents’ families and friends is also very important to support you in all aspects of your Loved ones’ life.

Charlotte Dean

Home Admissions Advisor

What I Do:
My role here at Hartwood House is to provide support to anyone enquiring about moving into care and the options that are available to them. I am here to provide as much help and information as possible, whilst supporting the resident and their loved ones. It is such a privilege to be able to help find a solution for families who are on such a difficult journey.

My Experience:
I have worked in the care sector now for 5 years and I absolutely love it. It is honestly such a rewarding job to be in, with this particular role being so varied and enjoyable. Previous to this I worked in hospitality, so have always loved being around people.

About Me:
I have a degree in Commercial Photography, even though I didn’t pursue this as a career it’s still a huge passion of mine. Although, I am kept busy with a house renovation and planning a wedding!! I enjoy going to the gym as I feel it’s a good way to switch off (plus this way I don’t feel bad about eating so many Haribo’s!)

Daniel Bree

Head Chef

What I do

I ensure we prepare, cook and consistently serve delicious, nutritionally balanced food here at Hartwood House using fresh, seasonal ingredients. I’ve continued to enjoy my position for the past two and a half years and I love the working here. What keeps me keen is sharing my love for food, as I understand the importance for our residents and staff to enjoy great meals!

My experience

I have now been a Chef for fifteen years, working in most industries from private, fine dining to large corporate contracts, gastro pubs and outside catering environments. In 2016, I was proud to be nominated and included in the top five for food in the Care Sector Awards. I also have NVQ Level 3 advanced apprenticeship in professional cookery.

About me

I love food, enjoy playing football and listening to music. My little boy keeps me busy and my wife runs her own baby swimming business. I often take our son along to her classes.

Demie Arnold

Activities Lead

What I do:
My role is to organise various activities within the home to suit our resident’s needs. It is my aim to bring as much fun and enjoyment to Hartwood as much as possible.

 My experience:
I have worked in care for 10 years now, I was previously working as a Health care assistant in a nursing home, supporting people with Dementia and mental health conditions. I’ve always loved doing care work, to make a positive difference to someone’s life is a gift within itself.

About me:
I spend most of my weekends at wedding venues as a bridal makeup artist – I love make up and art, to me it is a form of self-expression. In my free time I love spending time with friends and family.

Owen Southwell

Maintenance Manager

My role:
As maintenance manager my role is too keep the residents and staff in a safe and healthy environment so they can enjoy their daily activities

My experience:
Before working at Hartwood House I spent 10 working as a site manager for a local infant school and 13 years in aviation

About me:
In my spare time I enjoying gardening, spending time with my family and going on holidays to the Caribbean!

Rachael Crosbie

Administrator

What I do:
I deal with all admin duties at Hartwood House from Invoices to Recruitment. I really enjoy working here at Hartwood House, the atmosphere with colleagues and residents is what I love most.

My experience:
I come from a private Children’s home company where I did very similar work. Before this I ran my own business and worked in schools and customer service roles.

About me:
I am a Mum to four boys and two cats. I enjoy paper crafting and spending time with friends and family.

Vanessa Balme

Admin Assistant

What I do:
I am the receptionist for the home, I answer the phone and greet visitors. I assist Rachael the administrator with HR, and I help all the residents, staff, and visitors with anything they may need.

My experience:
I have worked in the care sector since 2007. I started off as a care assistant and eventually became a deputy manager.

About me:
I have 3 daughters and 5 grandchildren. I moved to Southampton in May 2023 to be near my daughters and grandchildren. I am originally from Leeds and spent the last 6 years living in Grantham, Lincolnshire.