Godfrey Care services have been getting into the holiday spirit with various Christmas activities and outings.

At Ash Tree House in Burton-on-Trent, the people we support always enjoy getting creative with arts and crafts. The season of goodwill presented the perfect excuse to produce some home-made decorations, including snowmen, snowflakes, reindeer and Christmas trees. Attention then turned to decorating a sparkling Christmas tree taking pride of place in the living room.

With everything looking festive at Ash Tree House, the service team planned various trips out to take in the seasonal scenes elsewhere, including the centres of Birmingham, Derby and Burton-on-Trent. The people we support explored the Christmas markets, rode the carousel and chose advent calendars to take home. Similar activities have been taking place at Godfrey Care services across the region.

Heather Wilkinson, Registered Manager at Ash Tree House, said:

“We love Christmas at Ash Tree House. The people we support and our colleagues embrace all the traditions and enjoy collaborating in making the place feel festive. We’ve enjoyed the day trips and we’ve been reflecting on what has been a wonderful year at Ash Tree House, with so many highlights and great memories. We’re looking forward to more in 2025!”

A recent collaboration between one of Godfrey Care’s service teams and our specialist behavioural practitioners has been very successful in facilitating excellent communication with one of the people we support.

Godfrey Care recognises the importance of a Total Communication Environment as a critical part of our care model. Under the guidance and direction of our Positive Behavioural Support (PBS) team, we use Augmentative and Alternative Communication methods where required.

DW, who lives at our Station House service in Rolleston, has certainly benefited from that approach. The PBS team recommended the implementation of specific communication aids, enabling DW to express her emotions and helping the support team to build a better understanding of her emotional management.

The strategy has been very effective in helping DW to communicate with the Station House team. She has been using the method to indicate how she is feeling before engaging in planned activities. The service team have also used Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) symbols and personalised social stories to help DW focus on a specific activity or task, preventing her from feeling overwhelmed.

Andy Fairman, PBS Clinical Lead at Godfrey Care, said:

“We are delighted to see the progress that DW has achieved with the use of tailored methods of communication. The Station House team has seen a huge difference in the way she engages in activities. Godfrey Care works towards the principles of the 5 Good Communication Standards, set out by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT). In each service, we apply a Total Communication approach as a whole and work alongside speech and language therapists to embed the strategies advised for each individual we support. We accept all forms of communication and offer training to our colleagues to help them adapt their own communication methods and meet the needs of the people they are supporting.”

Godfrey Care have commenced work to build our latest service in Alfreton, where we will offer six large individual self-contained living spaces.

Waverley will be a CQC-registered service for individuals who require highly complex care, supporting profound and severe needs in relation to challenging behaviours.

This development provides a homely, low-stimulus environment designed to meet each individual’s unique sensory needs, and to support each individual’s sensory regulation in wide, open spaces. Each individual living space will have its own kitchen/kitchenette, living room, bedroom with full en-suite wet room, and private garden.

Waverley also features a shared communal kitchen and lounge areas providing spaces for social interaction and inclusion, as well as shared gardens within the grounds of the home. The service will benefit from 24/7 support from our skilled service team, specifically trained in the specialist areas of Autism, Positive Behaviour Support (PBS), Active Support and Mental Health. A dedicated PBS team will provide ongoing clinical assessment and support for the service team, working with individuals, their teams and wider circles of support.


Godfrey Care Director, Andy Barnes, said:

“Godfrey Care are very excited to be starting work on Waverley, the latest of several services which we will be opening in 2025. Construction is scheduled for completion in summer 2025. It will follow our established model of provision for complex needs, combining highly trained and highly specialist care teams with purpose-built accommodation specifically designed to meet the needs of the people we support. We know that this model is valued by care professionals and care commissioners. They have seen the successful outcomes it has achieved at services throughout the region and I’m sure that Waverley will deliver similar outcomes in having a lasting positive impact on people’s lives.”


To find out more about Waverley, please contact our referrals team:

Tel 01283 353323
Email referrals@godfreycare.co.uk

It’s well known that regular exercise brings enormous benefits, not only in terms of physical conditioning but also in terms of mental health and wellbeing.

Godfrey Care’s service teams take every opportunity to encourage and support physical activities. Three of the people we support have recently been visiting their local gym and enjoying the range of facilities on offer.

MR, who lives at our Ash Tree House service in Burton-on-Trent, worked up quite a sweat during a session at the Meadowside Leisure Centre. He warmed up on the elliptical machine before stepping up the pace on the treadmill and the exercise bike. MR also tested his strength on the weights before heading home feeling invigorated and very pleased with his efforts.

LOR and CN, who live at our Field House service in Burton-on-Trent, had a similar experience during a trip to Shobnall Leisure Centre. They tried out a wide range of equipment and CN channelled his inner Steve Redgrave with an impressive stint on the rowing machine. After a satisfying work-out, they returned to Field House in great spirits.

Heather Wilkinson, Registered Manager at Ash Tree House, said:

“Supporting an active lifestyle is one of the most important areas of the work we do in services. The benefits it brings to body and mind can make a huge difference to the wellbeing of the people we support. MR really embraced the opportunity and he came away inspired to develop his exercise routines.”

Aaran Fryer, Registered Manager at Field House, said:

“It was fantastic to see LOR and CN giving everything a real go, pushing themselves and encouraging each other. These kinds of activities are so valuable – they promote good physical and mental health, and the social aspect is also very rewarding.”

Godfrey Care are excited to announce the launch of our Oliver McGowan Mandatory Autism and Learning Disability Training, commencing from 2025.

The Health and Care Act (2022) introduced a statutory requirement that regulated service providers must ensure their staff receive Learning Disability and Autism training appropriate to their role. The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism is the government’s preferred and recommended training for health and social care staff. The training is named after Oliver McGowan, whose death shone a light on the need for health and social care staff to have better training.

Godfrey Care’s service teams receive specialist Autism and Learning Disability training as part of our established model of care and support for highly complex needs, and we are committed to providing the highest possible quality of training. From 2025, our new training programmes will be delivered by our Oliver McGowan Certified Trainers, who are experienced clinicians within our Specialist Support Team, and our Experts by Lived Experience of a Learning Disability and Autism.  The programme will be licensed by NHS England.

Andy Fairman, PBS Clinical Lead at Godfrey Care, said:

“While we appreciate that some parts of the adult social care system have not adopted this training and have selected their own training pathways, Godfrey Care have pledged to deliver this programme as we firmly believe that, as a specialist provider, this is the right path for us to pursue as part of Oliver McGowan’s legacy.”

The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism has been co-produced, trialled with over 8,300 health and care staff and independently evaluated by the National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTi). It ensures that the UK’s health and social care workforce has the right skills and knowledge to provide safe, compassionate and informed care to autistic people and people with a learning disability.