Godfrey Care were delighted to see one of our services highlighted as an example of good practice in co-production as part of the 2025 Spring Survey report recently published by Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS).
This year’s survey paints a picture of the challenges and opportunities for adult social care, emphasising that “co-production is vital because it centres on the views of those who actually use care and support, ensuring services reflect real needs rather than assumptions.”
Reporting on the progress made by local authorities, the Spring Survey featured a case study on the success of Derbyshire County Council in tailoring a unique residential care service in collaboration with Godfrey Care. The individual has highly complex needs which needed an all-encompassing approach. A shining example of genuine co-production, the process brought together input from Godfrey Care’s support team and PBS team, Derbyshire County Council’s Integrated Care Board, social workers, case managers and, most importantly, the individual and his family.
In the Spring Survey Report, Derbyshire County Council described the work involved in creating a bespoke environment at the Godfrey Care service in Tibshelf:
“The team around Lesley* have been actively engaged in designing and building a home that is right for them. We have developed a sound understanding of what good looks like and have built a culture that embeds the values of co-production. Starting with a sensory assessment, the floor plans of Lesley’s home have been designed by their family, current and future provider, health and social care. The family have shared they have ‘felt empowered from the very beginning’, that ‘every single person is valued’ and it’s the cumulation ‘of so many people adding their bits in that make the whole’. We know that the more engaged people can be with the commissioning process, the higher the satisfaction rates are with the services that are provided.”
*name was changed for the report.
Commenting on the success of the service, a member of the commissioning team at Derbyshire County Council said:
“I wanted to express a huge thank you to everyone involved for being so committed to doing things differently! We are where we are because everyone has got on board and contributed to making a home that is right for [Lesley]. I am sure there will be more learning that we will take from this experience and that as a system, we will continue to grow to ensure that we are creating the best possible outcomes for people to be able to live their best lives in the community.”
ADASS Vice President, Phil Holmes, commented:
“It’s great that ADASS have shone a light on co-production in the Spring Survey and good to see the progress that councils have made. Co-production isn’t a nice-to-have — it’s essential. When we codesign and co-produce with people who draw on care and support we’re far more likely to get it right first time for our residents, improving results for them and improving use of resources for our organisations. There is some brilliant practice out there. Focused attention on creating strong local conditions for co-production will pay for itself many times over and ADASS is keen to help councils learn from each other and build on the foundations that are already in place.”
The words that Godfrey Care are most pleased to hear came from [Lesley’s] parents, Angela and Richard. Angela commented on the report:
“It’s great that [Lesley’s] case study has been used and really shows the importance of co- production. Richard and I feel very privileged to be working alongside some very passionate people who have our son’s best interest at heart. It means so much that everyone is working together to provide [Lesley] with a great environment . Whilst using the skills of the current provider staff to transition their best practices across to Godfrey care staff. I’m sure we will have learning curves from [Lesley] along the way, but working together , we will reduce any impacts on all involved.”
Co-production is embedded in Godfrey Care’s unique model of care and support for people of the most complex, high-acuity needs. We collaborate with local authorities across the Midlands to develop bespoke living spaces and support, empowering individuals to thrive and enjoy fulfilling lives on their terms.
We’re proud of our role in supporting the progress of [Lesley] and many other individuals across our services. It’s our passion and our mission to build futures together.