30 Years of Caring: How Twelve Trees Care Became a Yorkshire Institution

From family vision to regional leader: the remarkable three-decade journey of an independent care provider that chose connection over consolidation

A Different Path in a Changing Industry

In 1996, the British care sector stood at a crossroads. The NHS and Community Care Act had fundamentally transformed elderly care, shifting provision from local authorities to private providers. Corporate chains were consolidating the market, backed by significant capital and aggressive expansion strategies. Against this backdrop of privatisation and professionalisation, a 28-bed care home opened at 17 Priory Road in Sheffield's Nether Edge—one of hundreds of new facilities emerging in this transformed landscape.

Six years later, in 2002, Simon Mills and his family made a pivotal decision that would shape the next two decades of Yorkshire care provision. They acquired this established care home as a going concern and set about building something different—a care provider founded on a premise that seemed almost radical in its simplicity: great care starts with real connection.

1996: The Year Everything Changed

The Care Revolution

To understand Twelve Trees Care's journey, you must first understand the world it was born into. The mid-1990s represented a seismic shift in British elderly care. The NHS and Community Care Act 1990 had fundamentally restructured the sector, moving responsibility from the NHS and local authorities to independent providers. By 1996, the year the Community Care (Direct Payments) Act gave people unprecedented control over their care, the transformation was in full swing.

The statistics tell a dramatic story. In 1980, just 18% of care home beds were in the independent sector. By 2000, that figure would reach 85%. Independent care home beds exploded from 23,000 in 1983 to nearly 200,000 by the millennium. In 1996, a quarter of people over 85 lived in residential care—a figure that would later fall to 15% as policy shifted towards community care.

The Corporate Model Takes Hold

For many investors, the answer was scale. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, corporate care groups embarked on aggressive expansion. Four Seasons Health Care, backed by private equity, would eventually operate 500 sites with 20,000 residents. Southern Cross Healthcare became the largest care home operator in the UK.

The logic seemed sound: economies of scale, professional management, access to capital markets. But the model carried hidden dangers. Sale-leaseback arrangements converted property assets into operational expenses. Debt-fuelled expansion left operators vulnerable to economic shocks. By 2020, some care homes were spending 16% of their fee income on debt payments—money that should have gone to care.

The cracks would eventually show. Southern Cross collapsed spectacularly in 2011. Four Seasons entered administration multiple times before its final dismemberment in 2022.

Building the Foundation: The Early Years (1996-2006)

The Sheffield Beginning

When the original 28-bed care home at 17 Priory Road opened in 1996, the choice of location reflected careful consideration. Nether Edge represented exactly what successful care provision required—a leafy, residential, established community where quality of life and connection mattered.

The converted Victorian house was designed to feel like home rather than an institution. Private rooms gave residents dignity and independence. Communal lounges and dining areas encouraged social connection. Gardens provided peaceful outdoor space. Every design decision reflected a commitment to person-centred care.

A Family's Vision: The 2002 Transformation

In 2002, Simon Mills and his family saw an opportunity to build something truly special. They acquired the established Nether Edge care home as a going concern, bringing with it experienced staff, established reputation, and a foundation upon which to build their vision.

The family weren't interested in becoming the biggest. They wanted to be the best at what they did. That meant putting residents and their families first, investing in staff, and building something that would still be here decades later. The name they chose—Twelve Trees Care—symbolised growth, strength, and community. Like the trees themselves, they would grow slowly, put down deep roots, and build to last.

This philosophy marked a fundamental departure from the corporate consolidation happening across the sector. There would be no aggressive expansion targets, no debt-fuelled growth, no sale-leaseback arrangements. Instead, there would be patient capital, conservative financial management, and the freedom to reinvest profits into quality rather than extract them for shareholders.

Expanding the Physical Facility

One of the family's first major investments was expanding the original 28-bed facility. Through careful planning and phased development, Twelve Trees grew to 34 beds, adding en-suite facilities to provide every resident with private bathroom facilities—a significant enhancement over the original configuration.

This expansion exemplified the Twelve Trees approach: thoughtful growth that enhanced quality rather than simply increasing capacity. The additional beds enabled greater financial sustainability whilst the en-suite facilities delivered tangible improvements to resident dignity and comfort.

Building a Culture of Care

From the beginning of the Mills family's ownership, Twelve Trees focused relentlessly on recruiting, training, and—crucially—retaining exceptional staff. In an industry plagued by chronic staff turnover, they treated care workers as skilled professionals deserving of investment, training, and career development.

The results speak for themselves. By 2026, some Twelve Trees staff members have been with the organisation for over twenty years—many joining in the early years under the Mills family ownership. This stability creates something irreplaceable: institutional memory, deep relationships, and genuinely person-centred care. When staff know residents for years rather than weeks, they understand preferences, histories, families.

Establishing Reputation

In the competitive Sheffield market, Twelve Trees built its reputation the old-fashioned way: one family at a time, one resident at a time, through word-of-mouth recommendations and demonstrated excellence. Early CQC inspections validated this reputation, with Twelve Trees consistently meeting and exceeding regulatory standards.

Weathering Industry Storms: The Middle Years (2006-2016)

An Industry in Crisis

Between 2006 and 2016, the UK care sector faced a perfect storm of challenges. The 2008 financial crisis sent shockwaves through care home finances. Southern Cross Healthcare—the UK's largest care home operator with 750 homes and 31,000 residents—went into administration in 2011. Four Seasons Health Care began its slow descent into financial crisis.

Throughout this turbulent period, care home bed numbers actually declined. Despite a rapidly ageing population, the number of beds fell from 11.3 per 100 people over 75 in 2012 to just 9.4 by 2021—a 17% decrease.

The Advantage of Independence

Twelve Trees Care weathered these storms remarkably well, and the reason was simple: family ownership. There were no private equity overlords demanding dividend payments. No sale-leaseback arrangements creating ruinous rent burdens. No aggressive expansion targets requiring debt financing.

Instead, there was patient capital, conservative financial management, and the freedom to reinvest profits into quality rather than extract them for shareholders. When corporate operators were cutting costs to service debt, Twelve Trees was upgrading facilities. When competitors were struggling with staff retention, Twelve Trees was investing in training and development.

Evolution and Innovation

Throughout this challenging period, Twelve Trees continually evolved its service offering. In 2014, the company formalised its home care services through the incorporation of Twelve Trees Home Care Limited, recognising growing demand for care delivered in people's own homes.

Twelve Trees also developed specialist expertise in complex care needs. Dementia care became a particular focus, with staff receiving advanced training. Palliative care services supported people through life's final chapter with dignity. Reablement services helped people recover independence after hospital stays.

The Sheffield care home underwent comprehensive refurbishment during this period. Dining rooms and lounges were redesigned. An in-house hair salon and treatment room enhanced resident amenities. Air-conditioned lounges provided comfort during hot summers. Wheelchair-accessible transport enabled residents to maintain community connections.

Expansion and Evolution: Recent Growth (2016-2026)

Strategic Geographic Expansion

By 2016, Twelve Trees had established itself as a Sheffield institution. The family made the strategic decision to expand carefully into West Yorkshire, a region with clear demographic need and geographic proximity to existing operations.

The expansion culminated in 2024 with the acquisition of Meadowbrook Manor in Garforth, Leeds. The 31-bed facility had its own distinguished history, providing care in Garforth since 1987. Twelve Trees invested in beautiful refurbishment whilst preserving what made Meadowbrook special, creating a modern, comfortable care home that honoured its heritage.

This acquisition reflected the same careful, values-driven approach that had characterised the 2002 Sheffield acquisition. Rather than building from scratch or pursuing aggressive expansion, the family chose to acquire an established facility with good reputation, investing in enhancement whilst preserving continuity for existing residents and staff.

A Comprehensive Care Offering

Twenty-four years of evolution transformed Twelve Trees from a single care home into a comprehensive care provider:

The COVID-19 Test

The pandemic tested every aspect of care home operations. Twelve Trees, like providers throughout the sector, faced extraordinarily difficult circumstances. Staff worked tirelessly under immense pressure. The company's long-serving staff, strong relationships with local healthcare partners, and financial stability enabled effective response.

Most importantly, the focus on connection drove creative solutions to isolation. Virtual visits kept families connected. Window visits provided face-to-face contact. Enhanced activities maintained mental wellbeing despite restrictions.

Recognition and Reputation

By 2026, Twelve Trees Care's reputation rests on consistent excellence. CQC Good ratings across all services provide independent validation of quality. A 4.9 out of 5-star rating on Google Reviews reflects genuine satisfaction from residents and families.

Local doctors continue to recommend Twelve Trees as the leading care provider in the area—a testament to clinical quality and professional reputation built over decades.

Looking Forward: The Next 30 Years

Challenges and Opportunities

As the care home at 17 Priory Road celebrates thirty years of operation, and Twelve Trees Care marks twenty-four years under Mills family ownership, the organisation faces both challenges and opportunities:

Workforce shortages affect the entire sector, making Twelve Trees' strong retention record even more valuable. Funding pressures continue as local authority rates fail to keep pace with costs. Capacity constraints persist as bed numbers remain below historical levels. Increasing care complexity requires ever-greater clinical expertise.

But challenge creates opportunity for well-positioned providers.

The Twelve Trees Promise

The commitment established in 2002 remains unchanged: providing care that genuinely starts with real connection. Family ownership continues. Staff investment deepens. Quality standards are maintained. Service expansion continues carefully. Community engagement strengthens.

This isn't a promise to remain static—it's a promise that evolution will preserve rather than abandon the values that built something worth sustaining.

A Legacy Worth Continuing

In an industry often dominated by headlines about corporate failures and care scandals, Twelve Trees Care's journey—from a 28-bed home established in 1996 to a comprehensive regional care provider under Mills family ownership since 2002—offers a different narrative.

It demonstrates that sustainable success comes from consistent quality, genuine relationships, and values-driven leadership. It proves that independent family businesses can compete by focusing on what families actually value: continuity, competence, and compassion. It shows that investing in staff creates invaluable returns over decades. It confirms that reputation provides competitive advantage impossible to replicate quickly.

When the Mills family chose "Twelve Trees" as their name in 2002, they chose symbolism rooted in nature. Trees grow slowly, weathering storms through deep roots and flexible branches. They build to last.

Twenty-four years later, those roots run deep in Yorkshire soil. Branches have spread across communities, providing shelter and support to thousands. The organisation has weathered crises whilst growing stronger.

The first thirty years of 17 Priory Road—and twenty-four years of Mills family ownership—have established the foundation. The next chapters will build upon it. And throughout, the commitment remains: providing care worthy of the trust families place in Twelve Trees—care that honours dignity, supports families, and strengthens communities.

That's a legacy worth celebrating. More importantly, it's a legacy worth continuing.