At Exemplar Health Care, we truly believe that the best care happens when we listen and work closely with the people we support.
Over the past year, our commitment to person-centred care and co-production has made a real difference, bringing about meaningful changes shaped directly by service users, families, and colleagues.
Our brand-new ‘Service user engagement impact report’ for 2024 celebrates these collaborative efforts and the fantastic achievements made by working together.
It highlights how involving people at every step helps us deliver more personalised, responsive, and effective complex care.
Meet our Service User Ambassadors
Each of our care homes proudly has at least one Service User Ambassador - someone who represents residents' voices and actively contributes to everyday life in their home.
From welcoming visitors and interviewing new staff to organising activities, our ambassadors play a vital role.
We're delighted to share that ambassador numbers grew from 61 to 67 last year, showing the incredible value people find in these roles.
Sarah, Service User Ambassador at Woolston House, shares:
"At Woolston House, we have a lot of say in what we do and how we're cared for.
“One of my favourite things is being the home’s Service User Ambassador, especially when I can speak up for residents who can't do it themselves. I feel good knowing I’m helping them, and that makes me feel better about myself.
"It makes me feel important again and gives me a sense of purpose."
Abi, Service User Ambassador at Maypole Grove, adds:
“Being an ambassador has helped me connect with other residents, and I’ve made lots of new friends.
“I help staff with the menus and talk to people who are bed-bound. I’m also starting a monthly Q&A with staff to help everyone get to know each other.
“Maypole Grove has changed my life in more ways than I could ever imagine.
“I’m so grateful for the opportunities they’ve given me to enjoy life again. I do things now that I never thought I’d be able to do.”
Regional Ambassadors stepping up
In 2024, seven people took on our new Regional Service User Ambassador roles, mentoring ambassadors in their region and directly engaging with senior management.
This role empowers people to contribute at a higher level, ensuring their voices are heard at quarterly meetings with our Executive Management Team.
Dave, Regional Service User Ambassador, explains:
“Representing service users at this high level initially sounded quite daunting, but I found the team to be friendly, approachable and eager to hear what we had to say.
“I came away reassured that the service user experience matters, and the efforts to listen to, and respond to our insights are both genuine and accountable at the highest level. It's also a rewarding responsibility to speak on behalf of all other service users.”
The Service User Council making a difference
Our bi-monthly Service User Council meetings have continued to thrive, enabling ambassadors from every home to come together and influence key decisions and policies.
Last year alone, we held 18 meetings across our regions, achieving fantastic results such as:
creating easy-read documents and policies
designing new Ambassador uniforms
enhancing Exemplar Positive Behaviour Support training
organising company-wide competitions and initiatives
presenting at the Home Manager Conference and Clinical Nurse Manager Forum
helping design the curriculum for Sheffield Hallam University's 'Learning Disabilities Nursing and Social Work' course
informing the content of the ‘person-centred approach’ section of colleague inductions
trialling new digital technology, including Yeti Tables, Voiceitt, and the Famileo app.
Co-production: working hand in hand
Co-production means everyone works together equally to achieve better outcomes.
Some brilliant examples from the past year include co-delivering training, co-creating recruitment videos, and jointly developing important care documents and policies.
‘Life skills toolkit’ enhancing lives daily
Our ‘Life skills toolkit’ has continued to positively transform daily activities in our homes, promoting active engagement and personalised experiences.
Last year, 27 homes achieved the bronze award, with 10 homes each earning silver and gold.
Residents have shared their satisfaction, noticing more variety and increased participation in activities:
Leanne from Quarryfields says:
“We’ve now got activity boxes on each unit for suggestions, this means that activities are adapted to each service user’s needs.”
Adam from Greenside Court added:
“I’ve seen a wider range of activities happening as well as more happening.”
And Neil from Yarningdale agrees:
“There are more opportunities to go out and a wider range of activities to choose from.”
Active support training
Active support training is a cornerstone of our commitment to complex care, encouraging independence and engagement in meaningful daily tasks.
In 2024, we proudly delivered 424 training sessions across our homes, upskilling colleagues to better support people to take part actively in their lives.
Sal from Adswood Lodge shares a great success story:
“One of Martin’s goals was to be able to make his own cup of tea. So, we created an activity script with him.
"Now he confidently makes his own drinks and even helps others, no longer needing the activity script. It’s amazing to see his progress!”
Our efforts in co-production and service user engagement continue to ensure everyone can contribute, feel valued, and experience care that's truly person-centred.
Read more about our incredible journey together by downloading the Service user engagement impact report.
Explore over 50 care homes across England, supporting adults living with complex needs.
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