Godfrey Care is delighted to announce the appointment of Tracy Johnson as Managing Director.

Tracy brings nearly three decades of experience in health and social care to the role, with a proven track record of operational leadership, quality improvement and cultural transformation across multi-site specialist services. She joined Godfrey Care in August 2023 as Director of Operations and has since played a pivotal role in strengthening operational performance, governance and quality oversight across the company. Her appointment to Managing Director reflects both her impact within the organisation and her longstanding commitment to excellence in social care.

Before joining Godfrey Care, Tracy held senior leadership roles with national care providers, including Group Head of Quality Operations and Director of Operations. Her career progression from Support Worker to Registered Home Manager, Regional Manager and Director-level positions gives her both frontline insight and board-level perspective.

In 2018, Tracy was recognised by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as one of 70 individuals nationally who had made a significant contribution to health and social care, featured in its publication Driving Improvement – Individuals Who Have Made a Difference, marking 70 years of the NHS. She was recognised for developing a comprehensive quality assurance toolkit aligned with CQC inspection methodology.

Since joining Godfrey Care, Tracy has worked closely with co-founders, Andy Barnes and Hayder Atia, in developing and expanding the organisation which delivers bespoke residential and supported living services for adults with learning disabilities, autism and complex needs. Godfrey Care now operates multiple services across Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Staffordshire, with a continued focus on quality, workforce development and sustainable growth. New services are also due to be launched in 2026.

Speaking about her appointment, Tracy said:

“Having been part of Godfrey Care’s journey for the past few years, stepping into the role of Managing Director is both a privilege and a responsibility that I embrace with great enthusiasm. I am proud to be part of an organisation deeply committed to making a difference to people’s lives. Working with our team, I look forward to strengthening our vision and position within the social care sector, guided by our mission of building futures together and our values of innovation, inclusivity, and resilience. Our success has always been powered by our people, and I am excited to work alongside such a dedicated team as we continue to grow and achieve incredible outcomes for the people we support.”

Andy commented:

“Hayder and I are absolutely delighted to see Tracy move into this role. Tracy’s leadership, integrity and deep understanding of quality-driven care make her the ideal person to guide Godfrey Care through its next stage of development. She is passionate about raising standards and delivering meaningful, person-centred services, and we are confident in the future under her leadership.”

We’re delighted to share the appointment of four senior leaders, further strengthening our team as we continue to grow and develop our services at Godfrey Care.

Lucian Suciava joins us as Regional Manager, overseeing Supported Living East Midlands, The Meadows, Waverley House and the opening of our new Derby City service. With over 35 years’ experience in social care, Lucian trained as a registered nurse and has progressed from support worker to senior operational leadership roles, including peripatetic turnaround projects. A passionate and self-motivated leader, he is committed to delivering high-quality, safe, effective and well-led services through strong engagement, coaching and team development.

Sue Brinkworth has stepped into a new Regional Manager role following several months as Interim Manager with Godfrey Care. Sue will oversee Pine Bank, Dorset House, and the opening of two new services in Nottinghamshire. Bringing more than 25 years’ experience in social care, she has extensive expertise across residential and supported living services, supporting adults with mental health needs, learning disabilities and behaviours that challenge. Sue is a values-driven leader who equips teams to implement positive behaviour support and drive meaningful, lasting change.

We’re also pleased to welcome Dariusz Brysz as our new Head of Quality & Compliance. Dariusz brings over 19 years of experience across regulatory, operational and strategic roles in adult health and social care, including three years as a Care Quality Commission Inspector. He has led transformative quality improvement initiatives that strengthen compliance with CQC standards and embed a culture of continuous improvement. With strong expertise in data analysis, project management, stakeholder engagement and regulatory frameworks, Dariusz is passionate about driving innovation and improving outcomes for the people we support.

We are equally delighted to introduce Sheridan Bettney as our new Service Manager at Dorset House. Sheridan brings extensive experience in the care sector, having begun her career in recruitment before progressing into service management. Having completed her Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management, she combines strong operational understanding with fresh ideas and enthusiasm. We are confident she will be a fantastic addition to the already excellent team at Dorset House.

Together, these appointments reflect our continued investment in leadership, quality and service excellence. We’re excited about the experience, energy and commitment they bring as we continue building futures together.

Godfrey Care are delighted to mark another milestone in our ongoing growth with the purchase of a detached property in Sutton-in-Ashfield, which will be redeveloped as our latest residential care service.

The property will be transformed to a bespoke specification, creating four self-contained apartments alongside thoughtfully designed communal spaces that encourage connection, independence and wellbeing. Each apartment provides ground-floor living enjoying its own private garden. The new service, to be called Willow Lodge, will follow Godfrey Care’s highly successful development model, engaging families, local authorities and care professionals from the outset to help inform an environment that truly supports those who live and work there.

Our experience in delivering complex design-and-build projects ensures each development is tailored, future-proofed and fully aligned with our person-centred approach to care and support. As with previous projects, Willow Lodge will be developed through a collaborative process, reflecting best practice in care delivery while responding to the needs of individuals and the local community.

Andy Barnes, Co-CEO, Godfrey Care, said:

“The property we have purchased for Willow Lodge has enormous potential, and we are incredibly excited about what we can achieve through its redevelopment. Last year, we transformed two properties into thriving services — The Meadows in Beeston and Waverley House in Alfreton — both of which are now recognised as benchmarks for co-production in complex care. Willow Lodge will represent everything we strive for at Godfrey Care -thoughtfully designed environments, high-quality accommodation and care services that genuinely enhance people’s lives.”

At Godfrey care, our commitment to building futures together involves building confidence to develop new skills and discover new experiences. That approach was epitomised recently by the team at Ash Tree House in Burton-on-Trent, where one of the people we support has been encouraged to try cycling.

With the fantastic support of Abdul and Saka, K decided to give it a go last week – and he rose to the challenge! The smile on K’s face said it all when he set off for a spin around the running track at the local athletic club.

It’s been brilliant to see K becoming more engaged in community activities, enjoying an active lifestyle, and discovering what he’s capable of when supported in the right way. Moments like this show the power of patient, person-centred support – well done to the team at Ash Tree House and well done, K!

Godfrey Care had an amazing evening at the East Midlands Regional Finals of the Great British Care Awards 2025, celebrating four fantastic nominations and our second award win in as many weeks!

We were shortlisted in a range of categories, including Care Employer, Innovator in Care (Co-CEO Andy Barnes and Operations Director Tracy Johnson), 3 R’s (Business Administrator Tracie McGivern), and Care Assessor.

We’re thrilled to share that Andy Barnes received Highly Commended recognition, and that we won the Care Assessor Award, accepted by our PBS Clinical Lead, Andy Fairman, on behalf of the whole team.

Our success in the Great British Care Awards comes just over a week after celebrating two nominations and a win at the LaingBuisson Awards. As an organisation, we’re incredibly proud of our teams’ dedication to planning and delivering outstanding, person-centred care and support. Their hard work, compassion, and commitment shine through every day, and our recent award recognition is a testament to that collective effort.

A huge congratulations to all our nominees. Your innovation, resilience, and inclusive values continue to make a meaningful difference as we collaborate in building futures together. We’re very grateful for our entire team and the remarkable work you do.