Meet Abbotsford Care's Senior Management Team
Abbotsford has an experienced management team who support our skilled and dedicated staff working in our homes throughout Fife. Our senior team has over 75 years collective knowledge and operational experience at Abbotsford, enabling us to:
1. Identify opportunities for development to ensure our Residents are given best quality of care.
2. Work with Staff to identify and innovative with exciting opportunities to demonstrate best practice.
3. Provide financial, operational and clinical experience to enabling the successfulness of each home.
4. To facilitate sharing and co-operation between our homes and services.
5. Bring the unique family values to Abbotsford Care, to maintain a purpose-driven approach with quality care and support for each indivudal resident at it's heart.
On this page you can review the Abbotsford executive biographies. Click on each member to find out more.
Karen McKechnie - Director
As the director, I have been involved with Abbotsford since its inception in 1986 when my husband and I opened the first nursing home in Milton Road, Kirkcaldy.
I trained as a nurse in Glasgow then moved overseas working in hospitals in the Middle East and with children in the Far East before returning to England and working with older people in a care home on the south coast. Like all staff, I aim to update my knowledge and skills to provide best practice and have over the years updating my nursing certificate by completing a BSc advanced nursing degree, a post graduate management diploma and a BA degree covering needs of people with disabilities / difficulties.
Margaret Bridgeford - Senior Manager
As Senior Manager, I work with the Director, care home managers and staff to deliver the best quality of service we can to residents, families and friends. I am a manager with a nursing background and degree level qualifications in nursing, care management and marketing. I have extensive experience working in both public and private sectors in a variety of settings including retail, education and care.
I have been with Abbotsford since 1987 and enjoyed the challenge of managing in an organisation which has developed and grown over the years. A number of my personal goals have been realised while working here and I have seen many residents and staff do likewise. I firmly believe that we provide excellent care standards through involving residents in their everyday living and supporting them as a staff team, with positive enthusiasm and a willingness to work with others.
Alyson Vale - Business Development Manager
Abbotsford Care is a family run business and as a member of the family, I have worked in a range of positions within the company and feel I have turned my hand to everything having always assisted during my school holidays and weekends.
I studied Contemporary Performance Practice (BA 2:1) at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow. I also have a Masters in Creative Producing for Live Performance and Theatre (Distinction). I have worked with theatre companies throughout the UK such as Untitled Projects (Glasgow), Independent Productions (London), Walk the Plank (Manchester) and Musical Theatre Consortium Music and Lyrics (Edinburgh). Keen to fuse business and art to develop a sustainable model of producing for experimental work, I currently work as a business consultant for independent artists and small businesses in a variety of sectors.
In 2013 the family business came calling and I came back to work for the company with a wealth of new skills and experiences. Since returning to Abbotsford I have completed my Level 3 in Health and Social Care to embed my knowledge of a life time of caring. Along with my colleagues, we have engaged in a process of change creating a revolutionary process of recruitment and induction for care staff which centres around the creative and intuitive carer. As well as recruitment, I plan and co-ordinate all marketing, events and new property development projects within Abbotsford Care.
I am keen to promote and sustain the community of Abbotsford, which I have been part of since I was wee and which I hope continues into the future. I pride myself on knowing all our staff and residents working with every unique individual to ensure they feel part of the family.