First impressions

The first time Leah Mort saw Foxhunters was on the day she started work as our Home Director and it would be an understatement to say first impressions definitely counted in her case.

“It was the amazing large chandelier you see when you enter the home; that did it for me and still does every day I come in now,” she says.

Leah’s journey to Foxhunters began 18 years earlier when she first went into care, having previously worked in the pub trade.

She went from pulling pints to caring for older people because in her own words “it was time to find a real job” and as her grandmother used to live with her, she says caring was the natural choice.

Leah quickly progressed from Carer to Senior Carer, Deputy Manager to Manager, before becoming a Turnaround Manager for a large residential care company.

And then she saw the advert for Home Director at Foxhunters.

“Helen, the Dormy CEO, knew about me as she was friends with one of my former Area Directors, so she met me off the train at Hereford, we had a chat and offered me the role,” says Leah.

That was in January 2022 and the fact Leah is still awestruck each time she comes into work speaks volumes.

“The home was so well designed and thought out,” she explains.

“You enter, see the chandelier and then immediately in front of you is our café which is known as the cwtsh, the Welsh name for hug.

“It’s the beating heart of the home and you will see our ladies and gentlemen and their families there from first thing in the morning to last thing at night.

“The other facilities like the salon, gym, garden, and rooms are all fantastic but this would be nothing without the high quality of care we provide.

“We have amazing staff who are dedicated to our ladies and gentlemen and ultimately it’s all about ensuring everything they want is catered for and that they can make their own choices at every stage.”

Outside of work, mum Leah enjoys spending time with her partner and their pet Bulldog and going out for nice meals.