Meet the team




Meet The Team

Southern Healthcare's managing director, Geoffrey Cox

Geoffrey Cox Llb

Managing Director
MSc Dementia Studies - Southern Healthcare

Southern Healthcare's director of nursing and compliance, Margot Whittaker

Margot Whittaker RGN

Director of Nursing and Compliance
RGN, BSc, Queens Nurse, Dip. Nursing. Master NLP Pract

The Seaton's care home manager, Emma Seal

Emma Seal RGN

Registered Manager & Deputy Director of Nursing and Compliance
The Seaton Nursing Home

Sefton Hall care home manager, Gabriela Ogreanu

Gabriela (Mimi) Ogreanu

Registered Manager
Sefton Hall Nursing Home

Parkwood House care home manager, Lorna Smith

Lorna Smith

Registered Manager
Parkwood House Nursing Home

The Old Rectory care home manager, Kerry Dempsey

Kerry Dempsey

Home Manager
The Old Rectory Nursing Home

Alan Hall

Alan Hall

Financial Controller

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Geoffrey Cox Llb

Geoffrey Cox Llb​

Managing Director

MSC DEMENTIA STUDIES - SOUTHERN HEALTHCARE

Geoffrey is the Managing Director of Southern Healthcare (Wessex Limited), which he founded in 2001. He is justly proud of the company’s portfolio of four highly rated and individual homes, which he runs with the help of his outstanding team.

The Old Rectory, Sefton Hall, Parkwood House, and the Seaton, were all classed as Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission following Inspections in 2017-2019, with Sefton Hall re rated Outstanding, and the Old Rectory Good Overall and Outstanding in Responsive Care, in 2020. Sefton Hall and the Old Rectory also hold the Dementia Care Matters ‘Butterfly’ Mark for excellence in Dementia care.

The Homes have attained a number of regional and national awards including Care Home of the Year 2019 at Sefton Hall.

Prior to a career in residential care, Geoffrey was a practising Solicitor for 25 years. He is married to Margot, a qualified nurse, who has a key role as Director of Nursing and Compliance with Southern Healthcare.

Geoffrey completed a Master’s degree in Dementia Studies at Stirling University in 2013. Passionate about all aspects of care, he is a member of several groups representing providers, including the Devon Care Collaborative

The group exists to share and promote best practice and run management and leadership training and seminars.

Its members undertake inter-home ‘peer reviews’ to share, discuss and develop best practice. Of circa 240 Homes, Devon has around 33 Outstanding Care Homes, the highest ratio in England.

The shared vision of the collaborative, through its various endeavours has made a recognisable difference to residents’ quality of life in its member homes and this work has been growing steadily in scale and impact.

In addition, all four of Southern Healthcare’s homes are accredited members of the Eden Alternative.UK, Geoffrey and his wife Margot, are enthusiastic trainers and board members of this international, not for profit initiative, developed to eradicate loneliness, helplessness and boredom in care settings. The movement trains and promotes wellbeing in staff, residents and families, takes a strong anti-ageist stance and promotes empowerment, inclusion and effective leadership.

In his spare time, Geoffrey enjoys sailing and music – and regularly performs to residents with the Southern Healthcare Quintet.

Margot Whittaker RGN

Margot Whittaker

DIRECTOR OF COMMPLIANCE

BSC, DIP HS, MASTER NLP PRAC

Margot Whittaker (RGN; Bsc and Diploma of Professional Studies in Nursing, Master NLP Practitioner); is Southern Healthcare’s Director of Nursing and Compliance. She is married to the managing director of the company, Geoffrey Cox.

Margot has worked with Southern Healthcare for the past eighteen years in a nursing career spanning four decades.

She is also a founder member of the Devon Kite Group, now the successful Devon Care Homes Collaborative.

Through the years, Margot has been heavily involved in ensuring and supporting excellence in care home management and compliance to meet the continual challenges of the Care Quality Commission regulations and expectations. She is devoted to raising standards in nursing care within nursing homes.

Margot is currently developing an Adult Social Care Nurse Foundation Programme with the support of local colleges and universities. This unique scheme will involve training and support through a specific set of competencies needed to fulfil the increasingly complex role of nurses working in care homes.

Outside of her main role, Margot has a deep interest in animal psychologies and uses this to enable her to connect more with her dogs and riding horses. She also takes delight in her miniature horse stud at her Devon farm and the animals have been touring the homes to give some much-appreciated, soothing equine therapy.

Emma Seal RGN

Emma Seal RGN

REGISTERED MANAGER

THE SEATON NURSING HOME

Emma has had a nursing career stretching over thirty years – with two decades spent in elderly care. She has been the manager of The Seaton for eight years.

The Seaton is proud of the strong connection it has to the local community and Emma and her team work hard to maintain that relationship.

Another priority is that ensuring the residents at The Seaton always feel at home, loved and among friends – and that warm welcome is always extended to family and friends.

Outside of work, Emma is a big Exeter Chiefs fan. She also enjoys family life, travelling to unfamiliar places and reading a variety of literature.

Gabriela (Mimi) Ogreanu

Gabriela Ogreanu

REGISTERED MANAGER

SEFTON HALL NURSING HOME

Gabriela trained as a nurse in her native Romania before coming to the UK in 2007.

She began her career with Southern Healthcare as a care assistant at Parkwood. Gabriela realised that she wanted a change of direction – away from nursing and into management, where she felt she could work for lasting change.

Gabriela became the manager of Sefton Hall in 2015 and has led the team there to excellence across all fields.

Since she took the helm, the home has twice been awarded Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission and has won numerous awards.

Gabriela says Sefton Hall’s happy atmosphere and great reputation is down to teamwork – and a strong belief in creating a stimulating environment where residents can enjoy a rich life.

An early bird, Gabriela is often in her office before 7am- and her door is always open to her colleagues. She works hard to care for everyone who lives at Sefton Hall and to nurture close relationships with their families and friends.

Married with a grown-up daughter, Gabriela likes to put passion into everything she does – from inspiring her team to pursuing her many hobbies, which include tapestry, adventurous travel, (including a month’s backpacking in China), and cooking.

Lorna Smith

Lorna Smith

REGISTERED MANAGER

PARKWOOD HOUSE NURSING HOME

Lorna’s career at Parkwood has spanned an impressive thirty years – starting at the tender age of seventeen and working her way up from carer to registered manager.

Before joining Southern Healthcare, Lorna had a Saturday job in a vets – and her continuing love of animals influences her working life to this day. All manner of animals can be found at Parkwood – from a tortoise and chickens to visiting bearded dragons. Lorna also has a labradoodle called Ruby, who comes into work with her every day – and is adored by everyone at the home.

Lorna believes it is a privilege for people to choose Parkwood as a home for themselves or for a relative. She leads a team dedicated to creating a warm, homely atmosphere with strong links to the city of Plymouth, with its community spirit and proud naval history.

On her days off, Lorna loves relaxing with a drink while watching Murder She Wrote. She also enjoys walking on Dartmoor with her family and beloved Ruby and venturing further afield to ski down some of Europe’s most breathtaking mountains.

Kerry Dempsey

Kerry Dempsey

REGISTERED MANAGER

THE OLD RECTORY NURSING HOME

Kerry Dempsey joined us in March 2020 and has taken on the role of home manager and group clinical lead at the Old Rectory Nursing Home and the Southern Healthcare group.

She is a Registered Mental Health Nurse and has worked in both the NHS and social care sector for the past 30 years. She has experience in managing hospitals and care homes across the whole of the South West.

Kerry has an extremely positive attitude, and truly wants her residents to live their best, most fulfilled lives while spending their time at The Old Rectory. 

Kerry’s interests include live music (she attends the Isle of Wight Festival every year). She loves football and is a Liverpool supporter. She also enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

Kerry has been married to her husband for 26 years and they have two children. She loves spending time with her family and going on long walks with her two dogs, Bailey and Betsy.

Kerry has also been a scout leader since her children were young and has taken on this role with pride, helping and supporting the younger generation in learning life-long skills along the way. 

Alan Hall

Alan Hall

FINANCIAL CONTROLLER

After 22 years’ experience working for firms of chartered accountants, I made the successful move away from public practice in 2002.

I joined Southern Healthcare in March 2010 and am based at the head office in our Dawlish nursing home, Sefton Hall. In no time, I became immensely proud to be working for a company that is so passionate about providing the best possible environment, facilities and quality of life for our residents.

I also feel extremely fortunate to work with such great colleagues and remain in awe of the commitment and warmth shown by our teams.

Southern Healthcare has evolved and grown over the years, and I continue to enjoy the challenges of ensuring that the company is as financially robust as it can be.

In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends and when the weather allows, I love to be outdoors – jogging, walking, or cycling.