Enter and view: Abbey Ravenscroft Park Nursing Home

Healthwatch Barnet carried out an Enter and View visit to Abbey Ravenscroft Park Nursing Home on 29 November 2019. The home provides nursing and dementia care and was supporting 58 residents at the time of the visit. Healthwatch spoke with staff, residents and relatives to assess the quality of care and residents’ experiences. 

Overall, the report found Abbey Ravenscroft to be a welcoming, homely and well-maintained nursing home. Staff were described as friendly and approachable, and relatives spoke positively about the care provided. The environment was clean, comfortable and generally dementia-friendly, and residents appeared well cared for and appropriately dressed. 

The home operated a detailed care planning process, with assessments undertaken before admission using information from residents, relatives and health and social care professionals. Care plans were reviewed regularly and adjusted when residents’ needs changed. However, Healthwatch found that care plans were not readily accessible to residents or relatives and recommended improvements in this area. 

Residents had access to a wide range of healthcare support. A local GP visited weekly, while chiropodists, dentists and opticians attended regularly or when required. The home also used nutritional screening and monitored residents’ wellbeing closely. Staff raised concerns, however, about delayed responses from tissue viability nursing services and the ongoing issue of residents returning from hospital with early signs of pressure damage, which often resulted in safeguarding concerns being raised against the home.

The report noted that there were 32 Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) authorisations in place. While assessments were completed reasonably quickly, staff reported significant delays in receiving final authorisations from local authorities, which caused concern. 

Staffing arrangements were generally viewed positively. The home employed nurses on every floor and maintained a structured staffing model throughout the day and night. Staff received induction training, ongoing professional development, regular supervision and annual appraisals. Although the home had recently experienced increased staff turnover due to competition from other employers, management reported that this issue had been resolved. The home relied on bank staff rather than agency staff, which was felt to promote continuity and team spirit.

Residents had access to a programme of activities coordinated by dedicated activity staff. These included chair-based exercise sessions, outings and garden activities during warmer months. Residents who remained in their rooms were visited regularly. However, Healthwatch observed limited weekend activities and suggested that some dementia-friendly features, such as specialist clocks and dedicated dementia spaces, could be enhanced. 

Food was prepared on-site and was well received by residents. Menus offered a range of choices, including specialist diets, and alternatives were always available. Assistance with eating was provided when required, and residents’ individual preferences were taken into account. 

Relatives who spoke to Healthwatch expressed satisfaction with the care their family members received and described staff as caring and considerate. Regular meetings were held for relatives and residents, although awareness of care plans varied among family members.

Healthwatch identified some wider system concerns affecting the home. These included hospital discharge practices, particularly residents being discharged late in the day and Red Bags not being returned, difficulties arranging transport to outpatient appointments, and delays in DoLS authorisations.

The report concluded that Abbey Ravenscroft provided good-quality care in a supportive and well-managed environment. Recommendations included making care plans more accessible to residents and relatives, improving communication between hospitals and care homes regarding tissue viability issues, reviewing the complaints procedure, and raising concerns with commissioners about hospital discharge arrangements, transport provision and DoLS delays. 

In its response, the home stated that it had already begun improving communication with relatives about care plans and had reviewed its complaints procedure in line with Healthwatch’s recommendations.