Enter and view: North View, Jarrow

Healthwatch South Tyneside undertook enter and view visits to North View, a six-bedroom specialist residential care home in Jarrow run by the St John of God charity. The visits were carried out in October 2025 and February 2026 as part of a wider programme requested by South Tyneside Council’s Quality Team to independently assess residents’ experiences and quality of life. 

North View supports adults with learning disabilities, autism, physical and sensory disabilities, and high care needs, including specialist diets, limited mobility and complex communication needs. The service provides 24‑hour staffing, personal care, emotional support, medication assistance, community access, and support with daily living, alongside specialist equipment and adapted facilities.

Healthwatch developed and used resident and family/friend surveys, alongside direct observation and conversation, to gather feedback. Due to residents’ communication needs, not all residents could participate directly, and contributions were sometimes supported by staff. Feedback was collected from two residents and two family or friends. 

Both residents reported that they were treated well, felt safe, and were happy with their care and support. They described enjoying a wide range of social activities, including discos, swimming, shopping trips, outings, baking, and family visits. However, both residents said they were not directly involved in care planning, with care plans instead being reviewed by management and family members consulted when significant changes were needed. 

Family and friends reported that residents were treated with dignity and respect, felt safe, and had their needs met. All respondents stated they were happy with the care provided, felt involved in care planning, and said any concerns would be handled appropriately, although no complaints had been raised. 

During the visits, Healthwatch observed that the home was clean, well maintained, and well equipped, with personalised bedrooms, specialist equipment throughout, sensory features, and a pleasant garden. Staff were observed to be patient, knowledgeable, and clearly familiar with residents’ routines, preferences, and personalities, creating a friendly and caring atmosphere. 

Although the small size of the service and limited number of responses meant that feedback was necessarily restricted, Healthwatch concluded that there were strong, positive relationships between staff and residents and that families were very satisfied with the care provided. The provider welcomed the findings and stated that independent feedback was valuable in understanding residents’ quality of life and identifying areas for continued improvement.