Love was in the air earlier this month at Godfrey Care’s Field House service in Burton-on-Trent, where a Valentine’s themed weekend was organised by the support team to show their affection.

The home became a love-filled wonderland, with red balloons and paper hearts dangling from ceilings, red roses perched on heart-patterned tablecloths and a special gallery celebrating the people we support, with portrait photographs in heart-shaped frames. Red roses were handed out to each of the people we support.

No celebration is complete without delicious treats! The support team prepared a hearty dinner and an array of Valentine’s goodies, from heart-shaped biscuits and marshmallows to Love Heart sweets and mouthwatering cakes. The people we support enjoyed popcorn and movies to cap an unforgettable occasion.

Jorge Finn, Field House Registered Manager, said:

“The party was a celebration of love, friendship, connection, kindness, and making each other feel valued.  Hats off to the Field House team, they really pulled out all the stops and organised a wonderful weekend. Their hard work reflects the love and care that defines Field House. A big part of the support we provide involves shared experiences and memories for everyone to enjoy. The people we support really embraced the occasion and I’m sure there will be plans for more themed parties in the near future!”

Godfrey Care were proud to commence the roll-out of our Oliver McGowan training programme.

The first of a series of sessions started with our Senior Leaders and Service Managers. It was an extremely productive and successful session, led by our Certified Oliver McGowan Trainer, Lucy, and our Experts by Experience, Edward and Andrew. All our service teams will now complete the same training led by our Specialist Support Team.

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.

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

“While this training is presently only mandatory in healthcare settings, Godfrey Care have embraced the Oliver McGowan framework for training as part of our commitment to best practice for our services. Whilst Godfrey Care already provide specialist Autism and Learning Disability training, our Leaders received training against the NHS England framework, in line with Tier 2 training of the Health and Care Act 2022.”

Tracy Johnson, Operations Director at Godfrey Care, said:

“We are fully committed to supporting the Oliver McGowan Training initiative which sets a valuable sector-wide standard. It is very closely aligned with the standards and principles of Godfrey Care’s existing training modules, equipping care providers with the skills and knowledge to provide safe, compassionate and informed care to autistic people and people with a learning disability. The participation of the senior leadership is a vital part of Godfrey Care’s new Oliver McGowan training programme – we believe that it’s important to embed this knowledge not only in our frontline teams but also across the rest of our organisation.”

Godfrey Care are thrilled to announce the completion of our latest development in Chesterfield which is providing a new supported living service comprising five spacious apartments.

Featuring specialist design and specification for complex needs, Dorset House offers self-contained accommodation and low-stimulus environments with a warm and comfortable homely feel. Each apartment has its own kitchen, living room and bedroom with a full en-suite wet room. Some of the apartments also have their own gardens, whilst the others have access to shared gardens within the grounds of the home. The property also provides a shared communal kitchen and dining area.

The service is tailored to support individuals who have profound and severe needs and risks in relation to challenging behaviours. Individuals will be supported by a skilled service team, 24 hours a day, specifically trained in the specialist areas of Autism, Positive Behaviour Support (PBS), Active Support and Mental Health. Dorset House also benefit from the input of a dedicated Specialist Support Team.

Godfrey Care Director, Andy Barnes, said:

“We’re delighted to start 2025 with the opening of Dorset House. A huge thanks to the construction team – they have completed this purpose-built accommodation to an exceptional standard. Our service team is excited to be part of this specialist service.”

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

Tel 01283 353323
Email referrals@godfreycare.co.uk

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.”