- 01454 436 066
- enquiries@windmillcare.com
A personal approach
ABOUT US
We’re a family-run business with more than 40 years’ experience in nursing and care, and we believe every resident should be cared for with the same kindness, dignity and compassion we would want for our own family.
A FAMILY-RUN BUSINESS
Windmill Care has always been a family-run business, and that remains at the heart of who we are today.
The group is now led by Sarah Ashcroft, Director of Care, and her husband David, supported by an experienced team of senior managers. Sarah and Dave are the next generation of the family to take responsibility for Windmill Care, following in the footsteps of its founders, Sarah’s parents, Len and Katy Collacott.
Katy brought more than 20 years’ nursing experience in the NHS and private residential care when she established Windmill House. From the outset, her aim was simple: to provide exceptionally high standards of care in a warm, homely environment.
Over the years, continued investment saw Windmill House grow and develop to meet increasing demand. Bedrooms were enlarged and improved, communal spaces enhanced and the home’s attractive walled gardens extensively landscaped — while the focus on individual, compassionate care remained unchanged.
As demand for high-quality residential care grew across South Gloucestershire and Bristol, the family opened Osbourne Court in Stoke Gifford in 2009. Purpose-built to provide modern specialist dementia care, the home added a further 58 bedrooms to the group.
The Meadows, our newest home, opened in 2018 on the outskirts of Yate. The 84-bed home provides residential and specialist dementia care and has also played an important role in supporting local NHS services.
Within The Meadows, Skylarks is a dedicated 30-bed rehabilitation service operated in partnership with Sirona care & health. It supports people who are medically ready to leave hospital but who may need further rehabilitation and support before returning home, helping to free valuable hospital beds while ensuring patients continue to receive the care they need.
Sarah and Dave both joined the family business full-time in 2016.
Sarah had previously qualified as a nurse and worked as a ward sister in intensive care in Birmingham. She also knew Windmill Care well from an early age, having worked within the homes as a student and supported the family business over many years.
Together, Sarah and Dave spent the following years working across the organisation and developing the experience needed to lead the group. When Len and Katy stepped back from the day-to-day running of Windmill Care at the end of 2023, Sarah and Dave were well placed to continue the family’s work.
Sarah says:
“I have inherited my parents’ passion for elderly care and their pride in running a family business that is able to go the extra mile. I am determined to continue that same ethos, while making sure Windmill Care continues to evolve and provide the very best possible care for the people who live with us.”
OUR PHILOSOPHY
Kindness and compassion are at the heart of everything we do.
We believe later life should be lived with dignity, purpose and enjoyment. Every person who comes to live with us has their own history, interests, routines and preferences, and our approach to care is built around recognising and respecting that individuality.
Our teams work hard to create homes that feel welcoming, comfortable and genuinely personal, where residents are supported to remain as independent as possible and to continue enjoying the things that matter to them.
Safety is equally important. We continually invest in our homes, our people and our standards of care to ensure that residents and their families can have confidence in the support we provide.
Above all, we want every resident to be treated with the same kindness, patience and respect that we would want for a member of our own family.