Enter and view: St Catherine's Care Home

Healthwatch Sheffield carried out an Enter and View visit to St Catherine’s Nursing Home, a residential and nursing care service in Burngreave. Overall, residents, relatives and most staff spoke positively about the home, describing it as friendly, welcoming and homely. Residents consistently reported feeling safe, respected and well cared for, with comments including that they were "happy with the place" and "couldn't get better than this". Staff were generally observed to be patient and caring, particularly in their approach to supporting people living with dementia. 

The home was found to have good systems for involving residents, relatives and key workers in care planning and reviews. Residents reported being able to access healthcare services such as GPs, opticians and chiropodists when required, while relatives were positive about communication with staff regarding care needs and changes in health. The home operated an open-door visiting policy and offered a range of support services including hairdressing, religious visitors and healthcare professionals. 

Residents were generally satisfied with food and activities. Meals were described as good quality and adaptable to dietary, cultural and religious requirements, while activities included bingo, baking, entertainers and trips to destinations such as the zoo. Residents also valued facilities such as the pool room and opportunities to spend time with family outside the home. Healthwatch observed a welcoming dining environment and highlighted the use of an electronic system to record residents’ food, drink intake and enjoyment of meals as an example of good practice. 

Healthwatch also identified several areas for improvement. Some staff felt they needed additional training and support, particularly around challenging behaviour, while the designated Dignity Champions did not appear to have a clearly defined role. The home's website still referred to services that were no longer operating, including a dementia café and sensory room. Observers noted that staff did not wear name badges, staff photographs were not displayed, and mealtimes sometimes resulted in residents at the same table being served at significantly different times. Concerns were also raised about proposals to reduce outdoor space through a dining room extension without clear consultation with residents and families. Recommendations focused on reviewing training provision, updating website information, improving staff identification, consulting residents about environmental changes and reviewing meal service arrangements.