Ashley House Care Home

I am the Resident Experience Manager for Ashley House, I have worked with Bupa for several years now and consider Ashley House as my home too. I am passionate about how we care for the elderly and how we, as a company, can engage with the ageing local community around us.

Originally from London, I have spent the majority of my working life in a customer-focused role including three years as a care assistant and my ethos is to provide, maintain and deliver an outstanding service to all of my residents.

Our values are quite simply to ensure that you or your loved one are treated with respect, dignity and kindness in a safe, friendly environment, where nothing is too much trouble.

Independence is promoted and activities are catered to suit individual interests that we then try to encourage others to take part in and enjoy too. Baking cookies I have to say are my favourite … the smell is intoxicating but they don’t last long!

Arts and Crafters and Biscuit Bakers are more than welcome to come and stay with us.

We are perfectly located in the heart of Cirencester to enjoy its outstanding architectural beauty, retail therapy and abundance of coffee shops to tell everyone that you have visited, though my coffee pot is always on and won’t cost you anything!? But of course, nothing beats a nice stroll through the Abbey Grounds on a bright day.

I very much look forward to meeting you and your family to show you around our beautifully refurbished home, where friendship, kindness and understanding are standard practice twenty-four hours a day.

My name is Sarah, I am the receptionist and I have worked at Ashley House since 2003. My role is really important, it’s not just about answering the phone politely or opening the door with a smile. It’s about building trusting relationships with our residents, their family and friends. To listen and help with the little things from booking a taxi, making an appointment with the hairdresser to comforting a resident who is lonely or worried. Fortunately, as I come from Birmingham I am always ready for a chat, once I’ve put the coffee on of course! I really enjoy my job, no two days are the same and I love helping people.

I joined Bupa 17 years ago in 2006 as a weekend breakfast assistant. Since joining I have tried a few different roles; working as a laundry assistant and a hostess before becoming the weekend receptionist - a role I still thoroughly enjoy along with a job share as the Finance Administrator.

Before Bupa, I worked as an insurance clerk for over 20 years. When I was made redundant, I fancied a complete change of career. Living locally I had heard lots of good things about Ashley House and when a role became available I jumped at the opportunity to work there.

I love being able to help people. I have often needed to help myself and find it’s a good way to give back.

I have one daughter and 2 wonderful grandchildren who fortunately live locally so I get to see them very often. I also have 2 lovely cats, Alfie and Isla who are just the best company. When I am not at Ashley House or with my family, I can be found on a train! I love a train journey to the seaside. My favourite trip took me to Weston Super Mare, a place very close to my heart. I would love to take the Swindon to Penzance train one of these days.

I have been a registered nurse for over 20 years in India, Yemen and the Republic of Maldives. I moved to the UK in May 2023 and joined Bupa in June 2024.

Working in care services offers the incredible opportunity to build meaningful relationships with residents, witness the profound impact of my efforts, and embrace a variety of challenges that lead to professional growth.

My parents have always been hardworking and immensely supportive. They instilled in me the values of education and perseverance, which I hold dearly. I am truly grateful for these lessons, as they have shaped me into a strong and resilient individual.

I live with my husband in Tetbury, who has an MBA in Leadership and also works in care services. I spend my free time cooking and listening to music.

My name is Dr Okpala Emeka Franklin, originally from Nigeria, my friends and our residents fondly call me Frank. I have been working at Ashley House for 5 years. I joined as a Healthcare Assistant whilst I studied at the Royal Agricultural University for my PhD. I then joined a career development programme to become a Senior Carer. Working at Ashley House is interesting, supportive, encouraging and empowering and I am thoroughly enjoying my role within the home.

My name is Finley and I joined Bupa in September 2022, initially as a care assistant and now as a senior care assistant.

I was born and raised in Withington and I went to Swansea University to study Egyptology as I have a love and fascination for ancient history. My grandfather developed Alzheimer's which made me want to work in the care sector to try and understand him and his needs better.

I love making our resident's lives happier by doing anything I can for them during my shift. From helping with mealtimes, and running a nice bubbly bath to helping someone get dressed nicely for the day ahead. I would say I am a good listener and work well with my team to ensure the day runs as smoothly as it can. Our residents have varying needs and no two days are the same. I work with some amazing people who inspire me to be the best I can be.

I live in Cirencester and love spending time with my family. I enjoy going for walks and playing video games. I am currently saving up to visit Greece and Italy to get up close and personal with all the ancient artefacts I studied at University.

I joined Bupa in 2004 and have been in this role for almost a year. I first joined Bupa as a kitchen assistant, but as a qualified chef, I soon picked up the role as the 2nd chef, and when the opportunity arose, I was promoted to catering manager. A role I thoroughly enjoyed for many years, but I just fancied a complete change of direction within the home and jumped at the chance to become a housekeeper.

Originally from Yorkshire, I moved to Cirencester in 1993 to be the Chef de Partie for an established hotel. Having spent many years working unsociable hours, the opportunity arose for me to join Ashley House. This gave me the opportunity to provide excellent quality, nutritious meals for the residents in the home and gave me some work/home life balance.

I am lucky enough to work with some really great people, I have made friends and I enjoy helping the residents that live at Ashley House.

I live in Cirencester, it’s a lovely 10-minute walk through the Abbey Grounds, which is just the best start to my day. I am engaged to Fred, and we are looking forward to tying the knot next year. I love going back to see my family in Yorkshire, and when I am not working, I like watching Rugby League. I am an avid Leeds Rhinos fan. I also enjoy reading, socialising and creating heartwarming meals for my family.

I had a pastry chef apprenticeship working for various restaurants when the opportunity arose to join Ashley House as a kitchen assistant. I was inspired by my granny Jean who used to work in a care home and said it was the best job she ever had, so I decided to follow in her footsteps.

I love helping our residents and talking to them when I get the chance. Being in the kitchen this isn’t always easy but when I do, I find it very rewarding and I am happily listening to all their stories, so much so that I don’t want to go back to washing up!

I live in Cirencester, I love spending time with my family and watching movies. My favourite film of all time is Titanic. I also love cats and hope to have one of my own soon.

After a brief stint in the Armed Forces, 24 years in the Household Cavalry, I spent the next 16 years in Warehouse and Logistics Management until going into property maintenance in 2021. I thoroughly enjoy making and fixing 'stuff'. I love my job at Ashley House as I can make people's lives and jobs easier, happier, and more comfortable. If I achieve this then I feel I've achieved my goal. I also have a passion for making chocolate brownies!

My name is Sarah, and I joined Ashley House Care Home in August 2026 as a Lifestyle and Wellbeing Coordinator. I love all things creative, from singing to dressmaking with 'allotmenteering' in between!

My role is to ensure that something is always happening for our residents and that we have the opportunity to be sociable together, whether it be group activities, visiting less mobile residents in their rooms or running the nail salon. I enjoy learning about the lives and experiences of everyone here and sharing mine.

I have been a teacher, worked in insurance and owned holiday cottages in Cornwall. Now, I live just 6 minutes by cycle from the home and enjoy life in our wonderful town.

My name is Chelsea, and I joined Ashley House in June 2025 as a Lifestyle and Wellbeing Co-ordinator, after having my daughter Ivy.

Before coming to Ashley House, I worked in various care settings throughout my working life. I have worked my way through NVQs, and my roles ranged from carer to nursing student, senior carer and deputy manager responsible for a small team of home-based carers. I have seen first hand the impact that a range of activities and 1-on-1 time can provide to those in care homes. It is so satisfying to be able to make a difference to people's lives, and I value being part of the essential teams that care for a person's everyday needs.

Outside of work, I am an amateur crafter and love to try my hand at anything new. I have recently tried crochet (despite not being very good at it), and I am looking forward to starting scrapbooking my daughter's life as my next new hobby. I also love to bake, especially chocolate gooey brownies and experiment with new recipes from time to time. My other half, Lee, is chief taste tester and will give me his feedback on my creations! We live in South Cerney together and, when I am not trying my hand at new crafts, you'll find us spending lots of time outside, enjoying the Lakes and chasing our daughter around the park!