A warm welcome to our home
Stirlings care home offers compassionate, individualised residential, early-stage dementia and respite care for up to 40 residents. It has a strong connection with the local community and has been serving the local and wider Oxfordshire residents for over 50 years.
- Residential Care
- Respite Care
Set in peaceful and beautifully tended grounds, the home is located in a quiet residential location, near to the historic centre of Wantage. The town centre is within walking distance and there are local amenities close by, including a community hospital, health centre, shops, library and museum.
Residents can enjoy the daily social activities going on in the central communal areas with the hairdressing salon open during the week. The sensory room and landscaped gardens are often occupied with residents to relax and enjoy time with their family and friends.
Each private bedroom is a residents’ personal haven and there are cosy living areas in each of the households, along with kitchenettes and dining rooms. For those who join us for respite care, all of the facilities remain available including individual bedrooms, our delicious home cooked meals and daily activities.
Services & Facilities
The team
Food
Activities
Events
Pricing and Key Facts
About the team
Our friendly, professionally trained team are on hand around the clock to support our residents, ensuring they spend their day how they wish and enabling them to enjoy a fulfilling and independent lifestyle.
The attentive care team focus on the individual needs of the residents, with a tailored care plan for each person. Their aim is to improve the quality of life for our residents by creating lovely, comfortable, homely surroundings and by providing care, activities and other services designed around each resident’s needs and wishes.
Meet the team
Food
The talented chef and kitchen team prepare tasty, home-cooked meals on site daily from our own kitchens. We source quality produce for our excellent breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. All-day dining is available for lighter meals and snacks and all dishes are carefully balanced to get the best nutritional value and cater for individual dietary requirements and preferences.
Seasonal produce is chosen whenever possible and of course, relatives and friends are always welcome to join us. The menus change daily and the kettle is always on. Our chef bakes every day so there is always a fresh cake for residents, friends and family to enjoy.
Each of the households has their own small kitchen dining room where residents can take their meals if they wish. Residents are also encouraged to help prepare their own food and to make snacks whenever they choose.
Activities
Whether it’s wet or dry outside, we at OSJCT feel that activities are essential in providing the best caring environment to live in.
Hobbies don’t simply stop when living with us at Stirlings. We have a dedicated Activities Co-ordinator who works closely with our residents to create a programme of fulfilling activities and events, tailored around each resident’s requests, hobbies and interests. The programme of events and activities provide a source of fun and laughter, to help each resident live their life to the full and make new friendships.
We are also fortunate to have the support of many volunteers of all ages from the local community, strengthening our links to this thriving market town. Here is a sample of activities on offer:
- Trips to garden centres, cafés, pub’s, sporting events, National Trust parks, wildlife parks, aquariums and museums.
- Visit from Pets as Therapy Dogs
- Exercise and wellness activities, for example Seated Yoga, Zumba
- Fun activities with the local toddler and nursery groups
- Board game competitions and quizzes
- Music therapy sessions
- Gardening
- Arts and crafts
- Communal Church services
- Visit from a pop-up farm including ponies, sheep and goats
- Visit from Paro, a therapeutic robotic seal
Download sample activities schedule
With so many well-being activities for body and mind on offer, we also recognise that everyone needs some personal space for relaxation and mindfulness for personal reflection. The cosy lounges offer an opportunity for some quiet time or to host family and friends.
And that’s not all:
We’ve had silent discos, hoe downs, Chinese banquets, Oscar parties and so much more.
Many of the activities feature Reminiscence Therapy to aid those living with Dementia to remember events, people and places using sight, touch, taste, smell and sound.
Events
As we are within a vibrant community, there's never a dull moment. We run regular activities for all to join in:
- Coffee afternoons on Wednesdays
- Care home open day
- Summer and Autumn Fetes
- Christmas Parties
View our full events calendar to see more upcoming events taking place at Stirlings.
Pricing
Care fees vary depending on the level of care required and this will be confirmed upon completion of a care assessment prior to moving into the home.
Below is indicative pricing for self-funded residents per week.
| Care Type | Fees From | Fees To |
|---|---|---|
| Residential long term | £1235 | £1285 |
| Residential respite | £1365 | £1425 |
Our home charges self-funder rates for the services we provide. We accept third party top ups for individuals funded by the Local Authority up to the self-funder rate.
We understand that paying for long-term care can often be a complex subject, and with several options available to you it can be confusing. You will find helpful guidance on our Paying For Care page.
Key Facts
The Key Facts document contains information regarding this care home which can be used in comparison with other care homes or can be printed for reference and brought with you when you visit the home.
Meet the team
Our homes' professional services are provided by the Management team, Carers, Nurses and Dementia support teams (where required), Admiral Nurses, Support Workers, Activities Co-ordinators, Housekeeping, Handy Person, Administrators and the home's Chef and Catering team. We also have health professional support from Doctors, Nurses and personal services who will regularly come into the home.
Angela Lindsay
Odeth Dawkins
Catherine Barthe
Activity Coordinator
As Activities Coordinator, Angela is passionate about providing residents at Stirlings with the best possible experiences to enhance their wellbeing. She sees working in care as her calling in life and approaches each day as a new chance to help people.
Angela has almost a decade of experience in coordinating activities in a care environment and has many qualifications supporting her deep knowledge of caring for those with dementia. She takes great satisfaction from helping people to continue with the hobbies and interests they have had their whole lives but equally loves being able to provide them with brand new experiences too.
Whether jumping out of a plane to raise money, completing the Tough Mudder for charity, taking a former ice skater back onto the ice after 50 years, writing poetry with residents or working with Oxford University on a study into therapeutic robots, there is rarely a dull moment in Angela’s line of work. Her great work for the Trust was recognised when Angela was named OSJCT’s Oxfordshire Activity Coordinator of the year in 2016.
Angela finds time to meditate every day and enjoys attending boxing exercise classes and expanding her spiritual interests.
Head of Care
Odeth is the Head of Care at Stirlings, joining the team in January 2024. She embarked on her journey in the realm of care back in 2016. Her career within the trust began in 2019 as care leader at Avonbourne care centre. Her trajectory then led her to the esteemed position of Head of Care (HoC) at Bemerton Lodge in 2021 before transitioning to Longlands in 2022 and Stirlings in 2024. Prior to her venture into the care domain, Odeth had contributed her expertise as a Logistician for the British Army.
Within her current role, Odeth finds fulfillment in its dynamic nature, relishing its robustness and constant activity. Her responsibilities afford her the chance to engage with a diverse multidisciplinary team, an aspect she thoroughly enjoys. Building connections with residents and their families holds a special place in her heart, fostering a deep bond with her team members.
Outside work, Odeth's world revolves around her family. Married with two children, she treasures the moments spent with her loved ones. While her previous days included playing netball, her current passion lies in passionately following the sport through televised broadcasts.
Home Manager
Catherine worked for OSJCT for 14 years altogether: 8 years at Marston Court from 1995 to 2003 as an Administrator, 2007 to 2012 at Spencer Court as an Administrator/Trainer for finance then at Head Office in the finance team. She came back to the Trust on the 28th November 2023 as Trainee Home Manager and has been Home Manager at Stirlings since 2nd January 2024. Catherine has also worked for Adult Social Care at Oxfordshire County Council for 8 years.
Catherine likes the fact that it is a Home, “our residents live here and there is a family feeling. It is a very busy but rewarding job where we all try to make a difference in our residents’ life. I have memories of playing in a pantomime at Marston Court many years ago. I was a duck for the occasion and the residents kept laughing and saying “quack quack” every time I appeared on “stage”. It was really good fun and the residents loved it. I like it when staff, residents and families all get together for that sort of events. Those are the best memories”.
When Catherine isn’t at work she enjoys her hobbies; they are reading, walking, theatre and painting. She used to give piano lessons and French lessons in Austria where she lived for 4 years in the mountains.
