A chance conversation with a friend set Jennifer on a path that would become her passion. Now Regional Lead Nurse for Neurorehabilitation and Hospitals (North) at Active Care Group, Jennifer brings years of experience across hospital, community, and private settings.
Her focus is clear: building a well-supported and well-trained nursing workforce. Jennifer spoke to us about her journey, her leadership approach, and the importance of always looking ahead.
The beginning of a career
Jennifer didn’t begin her working life in healthcare. “I was working in pubs and restaurants,” she says. “One of my friends enrolled in a social care college course and told me how much she enjoyed it. It was only one day a week, so I could still work, and I thought I’d give it a go too.”
As part of the course, Jennifer undertook voluntary work at a local residential home. That experience proved transformative. “I loved it. That’s when I decided I wanted to be a nurse.”
She began working as a healthcare support worker at the home while completing her course and soon applied to study nursing at The University of Nottingham.
Learning the Ropes in a Fast-Paced Clinical Setting
Healthcare was still relatively new to Jennifer when she began her degree. “I’d worked in a residential home, so I had some exposure, and my customer-facing experience in hospitality helped.”
At university, she gained vital clinical knowledge, including recognising deterioration, escalation protocols, and communication techniques, such as body language and coaching. “It gave me a foundation for understanding people, recognising behavioural triggers, and preventing problems before they arise.”
Her management placement was in acute neurology and neurosurgery – a high-pressure environment where patients often arrived following serious incidents like aneurysms or trauma. “It was intense. Some patients wouldn’t return from surgery as they’d hoped. I became familiar with tracheostomies, PEG (Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy feeding, and full care needs.”
Jennifer worked there for five years before moving to the East Midlands Major Trauma Centre in Nottingham. “I wanted broader experience outside neurology, so trauma gave me exposure to a wide range of cases.”
A time of transition
After her time in hospital settings, Jennifer transitioned into community nursing for 18 months, providing complex wound management, palliative and end-of-life care. Her first three roles were all with the NHS.
She then moved into private healthcare, working in a neuro-rehabilitation service that also supported individuals with mental health and behaviour support needs. “It was a very complex and demanding environment.”
Joining Active Care Group
Jennifer’s career with Active Care Group began with a dual role at our Nottingham Brain Injury Rehabilitation and Neurological Care Centre: part-time Practice Development Nurse and part-time Senior Staff Nurse. “The role evolved. I became the full-time quality lead, and eventually the Matron.”
At Nottingham, Jennifer supported services including a high-dependency unit for tracheostomy care and a neuro-rehabilitation unit. “We had people stepping down from the hospital for intensive rehab. Some stayed for 12 weeks, while others stayed for longer periods. Some returned home, others went into supported living or residential care.”
The service also had a long-term residential unit for individuals who were unable to return to the community. “The role was rewarding. We offered a full MDT (Multidisciplinary team) approach, with bespoke training for colleagues on managing tracheostomies, PEGs (Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy), and recognising early signs of deterioration.”
Becoming Regional Lead Nurse for Neurorehabilitation and Hospitals.
In March 2024, Jennifer joined the Central Quality Team as Quality Lead for the North. This role involved her visiting services across the region, undertaking audits, sharing best practices and supporting staff training.
“I saw the challenges residential services face in accessing training. Our community teams have a demanding job, so ACG’s central support teams are stepping in to support them.”
By March 2025, she was appointed Regional Lead Nurse for Neurorehabilitation and Hospitals (North). Jennifer’s role is to support the Group Director Head of Nursing in implementing the Nursing and Care Strategy across the Group.
Building a Skilled, Supported Workforce
Jennifer is passionate about education and prevention and champions a no-blame culture. “If someone makes a mistake, I want to understand the root cause because it’s rarely just about the individual. There’s usually a gap in process, training, or support.”
That mindset informs her approach to workforce development. “If you improve staff experience and retention, you improve care quality and family relationships. Everything gets better.”
What’s Next: Supporting Nurses
As this is a new role, Jennifer is helping shape its future. “We’re going back to basics, reviewing where we are now and what we want to achieve.”
She works closely with her southern counterpart to align practices across the organisation. “It’s about creating consistency across the board so we’re all learning from each other.”
Jennifer is also working on building peer networks for Active Care Group’s internationally recruited staff members. “I want to avoid our new nurses feeling isolated, especially in remote locations. So, one initiative I’ve started is pairing people up to offer peer support and share knowledge.”
Collaborating and Driving Change
Jennifer values initiative. “Some staff highlight problems, others come with a problem and a proposed solution – that’s what I love. We can trial new approaches and share what works across the Group.”
That collaborative spirit is at the heart of her leadership. Alongside the Group Director of Nursing, Jennifer is helping to build communities of practice across the organisation, including Matron networks, safeguarding groups, and champions for diabetes, nutrition, and disability awareness.
“Bringing people together, even across such a wide region, means we can work together to drive real, positive change.”