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.

We all benefit from stepping out of our comfort zone every now and then. At Godfrey Care, we always like to encourage the people we support to try something new and broaden their horizons.

KW, who lives at our Station House service in Rolleston, recently had a go at doing something unfamiliar and found the experience to be extremely rewarding.

Keen to help KW become more active in the community, the Station House service team arranged for him to go on a bike ride in the local park. The Shobnall Fields Leisure Complex offers Friday slots to rent adapted bikes, providing KW with an excellent opportunity to don a helmet and take in the scenery. KW thoroughly enjoyed his excursion, and the positive experience has inspired KW to participate in more outings.

Nadine Hutchings, Deputy Manager at Station House, said:

“We were delighted to see KW having such a great time. This is a big achievement for KW, as historically he is very-routine orientated, preferring to do his favoured activities in and out of the home.”

Godfrey Care services have never been afraid to sink their teeth into Halloween festivities and they’ve been hellishly busy again in 2024 to mark the scariest day of the year.

Our Ash Tree House service in Burton-on-Trent has certainly been in high spirits, starting the Halloween celebrations with a fun-filled day of pumpkin picking. They headed out to nearby Garden King to participate in the garden centre’s annual Pumpkin Woods event.

Everyone followed the 300-metre autumnal woodland walk, full of spine-chilling surprises, and explored the pumpkin patch to hand-pick their own pumpkins. The trip was full of smiles, laughter, and a wicked sense of adventure. 

On returning to Ash Tree House armed with their orange bounty, the fun continued with a pumpkin carving session. The people we support and the service team were frightfully creative, turning their pumpkins into a unique assortment of demonic designs.

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

“It was heartwarming to see the service team and the people we support working side-by-side, sharing ideas, and enjoying each other’s company. They also collaborated really well when we organised some Halloween arts and crafts. These kinds of seasonal activities are so important in creating a vibrant and connected environment within our home. They allow the people we support to engage in hands-on experiences, socialise, and express their creativity, all while celebrating festive traditions together.”

Similar scenes are taking place at our services throughout the region, with homes packed with Jack-o’-lanterns and festooned in all manner of blood-curdling decorations. When it comes to Halloween fun, Godfrey Care always put in a monster effort!