Many of the people we support are big football fans. Two of our most avid followers of the beautiful game are LO and CN, who live at Godfrey Care services in Burton-on-Trent.

CN is a passionate supporter of current Premier League champions, Liverpool. He recently expressed a desire to visit the hallowed turf of the club’s home in Anfield, so the service team at Field House organised a trip up the M6 to take a full tour of the famous stadium. He was joined by fellow Reds fan, LO, as they took in the sights, including the iconic Shankly Gates. Together, they explored the stands, walked through the players’ tunnel, and even stood beneath the famous “This Is Anfield” sign.

CN was kitted out in his brand-new Liverpool tracksuit and scarf while LO showed solidarity with his own red tracksuit top. At the end of the outing the pair travelled back from Merseyside full of sporting spirits and vowing to return soon, hoping to see more silverware in the trophy cabinet!

LO and CN’s shared love of Liverpool strengthened their friendship, showing how experiences like this can bring people together. With an abundance of social opportunities at Godfrey Care services, the people we support will never walk alone!

Each year, Godfrey Care’s Ashby House service in Burton-on-Trent organises a summer holiday for two of the people we support. JL and MT both look forward to an annual adventure, and both love the sounds, sights and sea air of a coastal resort.

This year, the two friends decided to take a trip together and picked the Porthcawl in South Wales as their destination. JL and MT were delighted with their choice, taking an instant liking to the lively seaside town and its many attractions.

The Ashby House support team booked a picturesque caravan park which provided the perfect base for exploring the area. Porthcawl’s funfair and arcade were the most eagerly anticipated items on the itinerary, and they certainly lived up to expectations! JL showed off his skills behind the wheel with a session on the dodgems while MT got immersed in VR gaming. In the evenings, JL and MT swapped the dodgems for the disco and showed off some impressive moves on the dancefloor.

Natalia Bloor, Service Manager at Ashby House, said:

“It was great to see JL and MT enjoying a holiday together – it’s really strengthened their friendship, and JL is already getting excited about the next trip! The Ashby House team did a fantastic job planning, organising and supporting everything. We’re already thinking about the next holiday and we can’t wait to see what JL and MT decide to do!”

Godfrey Care are delighted to announce that we have been shortlisted for two awards at this year’s prestigious LaingBuisson Awards 2025 which highlight the brightest and best in the care sector!

We’ve been named as a finalist in the Excellence in Specialist Care and Excellence in Supported Living categories. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony taking place on 20th November 2025 at Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London.

Godfrey Care Co-CEO, Hayder Atia, said:

“The LaingBuisson Awards celebrate organisations that establish new benchmarks of excellence in the care sector. Being shortlisted for two awards is a huge achievement and well-deserved recognition for the passion, commitment and skill of our incredible teams. Thank you to all our amazing colleagues for their vital work in supporting and maintaining the exceptional standards that made these nominations possible.”

Now in their 20th year of recognising outstanding achievements, the LaingBuisson Awards are assessed independently and objectively, focusing on both the individuals delivering care and their advisors. The audience comprises a diverse array of experts in the UK health and care sectors, with the majority of attendees holding pivotal roles in their organisations.

Summer wouldn’t be summer without a trip to the seaside. It’s a sentiment heartily endorsed by CN, who lives at our Field House service in Burton-on-Trent. He recently expressed his love of the coast, so the service team responded by organising a fun-filled holiday in Skegness!

The sea air, friendly atmosphere, and classic British charm made Skeggy the perfect destination for a sun-soaked getaway. CN explored the town’s many attractions, testing his skills on the arcade games in the pier and taking a dodgem for a spin before heading to the beach to collect shells, paddle in the sea and enjoy the sand between his toes. A renowned truck enthusiast, CN also found time to admire some impressive HGVs parked near the town centre!

The daytime activities worked up a healthy appetite for a fish and chips dinner followed by some wonderful evening entertainment, including live music, quizzes, bingo and dancing. CN lit up the stage with a joyful karaoke performance!

Olivia Nixon, Service Manager at Field House, said:

“We were delighted to see CN loving his holiday so much. As well as being a fun break, it was an experience that did wonders for his confidence and enabled him to build friendships. A huge thank you to our amazing team at Field House for making it all possible. Everyone came home with happy hearts and memories to treasure.”

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.