Enter and view: Dulwich Care Centre

Healthwatch Lambeth carried out an Enter and View visit to Dulwich Care Centre in June 2015, six months after concerns had been raised about poor care, staffing levels and an inadequate CQC rating. The purpose of the visit was to assess progress under a new management team. Overall, Healthwatch found that significant improvements had been made and concluded that the service was now providing a generally good standard of care. Residents, relatives and visitors reported positive changes, particularly in staff attitudes, routines, communication and activities, although some concerns remained. 

Residents generally described staff as kind, helpful and respectful, and Healthwatch observed caring interactions throughout the visit. Family members reported improvements in personal care, communication and the activities programme. The Centre offered a wide range of activities, including exercise sessions, music, arts, outings and one-to-one engagement for residents. However, Healthwatch felt that many residents still spent long periods without meaningful stimulation when activities were not taking place and recommended providing more resources and opportunities for engagement throughout the day. 

The physical environment was clean, calm and welcoming, but a number of issues were identified. Parts of the garden and balcony areas required attention, including damaged furniture, uneven paving and poorly maintained plants. Healthwatch also identified opportunities to improve the dementia-friendliness of the environment through clearer signage, better colour contrasts and design features that support orientation and independence for people living with dementia. Family members and staff also highlighted the need for continued investment in dementia training and leadership development. 

Healthwatch found evidence that management had responded positively to previous concerns and had introduced measures to improve feedback and complaints processes. Nevertheless, recommendations included developing a formal system to monitor residents' overall wellbeing, strengthening dementia care, enhancing activities and social engagement, improving awareness of the complaints process, maintaining environmental improvements and ensuring that quality improvements were embedded for the long term. Overall, the report concluded that Dulwich Care Centre had made substantial progress but should continue striving to deliver consistently high-quality dementia care and resident wellbeing.