Experienced Care Leader Appointed Manager at Cedar Lodge in Chesterfield

An experienced care professional with more than 25 years in health and social care has been appointed as manager at Cedar Lodge in Brimington, Chesterfield.

Sharon Ricci has taken on the role at the Milewood supported service following a lengthy and varied career across nursing, residential and specialist care settings. She joined Cedar Lodge in September 2024 as deputy manager and has now progressed into the management position.

She began her career as a care assistant in a nursing home before moving into support work across a wide range of services, including learning disabilities and young adults with mental health needs. Sharon later spent time working at Rampton Hospital on the personality disorder wards, before going on to hold home manager roles at several services across Yorkshire and Derbyshire. She has also previously been a registered manager of an elderly residential care home.

Currently completing her Level 5 qualification in Leadership and Management, Sharon brings a strong person-centred ethos to her role at Cedar Lodge, working alongside an established staff team supporting nine individuals.

Sharon Ricci said: “Since starting at Cedar Lodge, I have been privileged to work with an excellent staff team and to support the individuals in a genuinely homely environment. Every day is different, which is what makes the role so rewarding. Being able to have a positive impact on people’s lives and support them to achieve their goals and aspirations is incredibly important to me.

“I strongly believe that good care and support must be person-centred and built around privacy, dignity and respect, while empowering people to make their own decisions and have control over how they want to live their lives. We achieve this in very practical ways, such as ensuring people’s bedrooms are decorated how they choose, with personalised door signs, colours and furniture that reflect who they are.

“I’m really looking forward to continuing my work at Cedar Lodge, listening to feedback, completing audits and working closely with other managers so that, together, we can continue to thrive.”

Martyn Heginbotham, chief executive of Milewood, added: “Sharon brings a wealth of experience, compassion and leadership to Cedar Lodge. Her commitment to person-centred care, combined with her hands-on understanding of a wide range of care settings, makes her an excellent fit for the service. We are delighted to see her step into the manager role and are confident she will continue to build on the strong foundations already in place.”