Godfrey Care unveiled our latest specialist residential service with an Open Day at Waverley House in Alfreton! It was wonderful to hear such positive feedback from families and care professionals about the six self-contained living spaces we have purpose-built for young people with complex, high acuity needs.
We’re incredibly proud of the collective achievement at Waverley House – the realisation of months of collaboration between all parties involved in the provision of care.
Back in 2024, when Godfrey Care’s senior leadership visited the site of a former elderly care home in Alfreton to assess its feasibility for redevelopment, we instantly recognised its enormous potential for use as a complex care service. The two-acre grounds offered ample space for outdoor activities and, with all accommodation on the ground floor, the property could be configured into various self-contained homes each enjoying its own private garden. With other residential properties nearby, it also provided a community-based setting which promoted social and community inclusion.
Godfrey Care contacted the commissioning team at Derbyshire County Council to discuss the opportunity to create a new specialist complex care service and identify a cohort of people who could live and thrive there. Derbyshire County Council identified various individuals who are all working-age adults with the most complex, high acuity needs that would benefit from the bespoke service proposed by Godfrey Care within the spacious environment provided by the site. Soon afterwards, Godfrey Care acquired the site for development and began the process of planning the service, with bespoke built environments backed 24/7 by a multidisciplinary team with the specialist training and skillset to support the individuals living there.
Co-production
Fully committed to the project from the outset, Derbyshire County Council shared Godfrey Care’s vision of Waverley House as an opportunity for genuine co-production between all parties involved in the provision of care. From day one, the process involved input from Derbyshire County Council, the Integrated Care Board, social workers, case managers, current care providers, Godfrey Care’s Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) team and its senior leadership team. However, the most important input came from the individuals’ families who were at the heart of the service’s planning and development, empowered as a leading voice shaping its design and specification.
Godfrey Care’s architect produced an initial concept, drawing on the senior team’s deep experience in developing successful specialist settings. This early design was submitted to Derbyshire County Council as a springboard for co-production. While the architectural plans offered a solid foundation, they weren’t enough to spark the kind of detailed thinking and personalised input required for the final design. A site visit proved to be a game-changer. It gave families the chance to visualise the space, see its potential, and share real-time input before a single brick was laid.
With support from multidisciplinary teams at both Godfrey Care and Derbyshire County Council, families suited up in hard hats and high-vis jackets to explore the empty buildings. On-site, Godfrey Care used spray paint and wooden floor panels to mark out proposed walls and room layouts, transforming the bare floors into something more tangible and relatable.
The visit brought the design to life. Families offered vital insights that directly influenced key decisions, from the position of doorways and the design of windows to the layout of kitchens and the all-important spacing in bathrooms. Their lived experience with their loved ones shaped a setting truly built around the people who will call it home. The property’s footprint was extended on the recommendations of families, providing additional space to meet sensory needs.
The development
Following the initial site visit, the collaborative partnership continued to flourish, bringing together families, Godfrey Care, Integrated Care Boards, and Derbyshire County Council. From December 2024 to July 2025, Godfrey Care hosted regular site visits attended by families and multidisciplinary teams to keep everyone engaged on the project. Meetings were held at every key stage, ensuring all voices were heard, all feedback and ideas were shared, and each sphere of expertise was utilised. Every detail and every adaptation reflected that process. Families continued to have essential input into the design and construction of the Waverley House and in the planning of the transition process for the individuals moving there.
Each living space has its own kitchen, living room, bedroom with full en-suite wet room, and private gardens. Each individual will also have access to the large communal gardens and communal kitchen/living space to facilitate social inclusion and connection.
With input from Occupational Therapists, the environments have been specifically adapted, with some including smaller kitchens or larger bathrooms to accommodate individual needs and one environment incorporating a bespoke sensory space. All the homes include HVAC heating and cooling systems, sensory lighting and bespoke fitted furniture designed specifically around each person’s needs.
The feedback from families has been overwhelmingly positive. They’ve expressed deep appreciation for the attention to detail in the bespoke design and for the meaningful way they were included throughout the process. One family even described it as a “privilege” to have had a say in shaping the service.
Godfrey Care believe that families having such a voice should never be a privilege—it should be the standard. The success of this project sets a powerful precedent for what is possible when complex transitions are approached with compassion, collaboration, and creativity.
Godfrey Care were delighted to invite one of the parents, Jane, to carry out the ceremonial duties for the official ribbon cutting at our Open Day. We will soon be welcoming our first arrivals at Waverley House as we prepare transitions for individuals whose homes have been tailored to meet their specific needs. If you couldn’t attend our Open Day, we’d be delighted to welcome you for a personal visit for a look around. To arrange an appointment to view, please email Hayley.Morgan@godfreycare.co.uk
