Rendlesham Care Centre

“To me, care from the heart means the genuine warmth I derive from my role. The fantastic team at Rendlesham shares my commitment to continuous improvement, creating a positive environment for both residents and staff. In our beautiful setting, we encourage community involvement, organising events, and outings to enrich our residents’ lives.”

My name is Maxine Smith and I am the Home Manager here at Rendlesham Care Centre. My passion for care is rooted in my upbringing. I grew up in a residential care home owned by my parents, and was inspired by my mother who was a nurse. I’ve dedicated  many years to making a positive impact in social care. After starting overseas in New Zealand, managing an orthopaedic ward, I found my calling in community care with the Māori and elderly. Transitioning to dementia care, I provided live-in services, ensuring individuals stayed in their homes until the right time for a care facility.

I missed my family and home, so later returned to the UK. I served as a clinical lead for two years and managed care homes for eight years before joining Rendlesham Care Centre. I find joy in providing a warm, personalised service, cherishing daily smiles from residents. Having experienced the caregiving journey with my own father, I empathise deeply with families, making me adept at offering meaningful support.

The team I have here at Rendlesham is fantastic. We all work together to support each other within our roles and continually improve our skills to provide the best service, and the safest. Each team member is a valuable as the other and we must draw on each other’s experiences. Teamwork is critical to success, and I like to ensure we are a happy respectful, team, it’s how you have a happy home. Everybody really cares about the residents, and you can see that when you walk around our home.

Personally, my biggest achievement is raising three children independently, and I am now blessed with two grandchildren. Balancing work, family, and travel experiences has shaped me into the person I am today. I’m grateful to contribute my wealth of experience to benefit both my team and the individuals we care for at Rendlesham. Outside of work I love the beaches and coastal walks. In my spare time I often visit Alton Waters, a beautiful lake, just up the road.  I’m in a walking group and we’ll either walk around the trail or go kayaking.

We would like welcome the local community to get involved in the activities at the home. We have a lovely garden and run events that allow our local community to join in. Rendlesham and the surrounding areas are lovely, and we take small groups of residents out regularly in our minibus to enjoy short trips to the river.