Enter and view: Lyncroft House Care Home

Healthwatch Waltham Forest undertook an Enter and View visit to Lyncroft House Care Home on 11 December 2018. The visit found that the home provided a supportive and caring environment for adults with mental health needs. Residents reported feeling safe, listened to and involved in decisions about their care, while staff demonstrated a good understanding of residents' individual needs and preferences.

The home was found to be responsive to residents' needs and offered regular access to health professionals, including GPs, dentists, opticians and social workers. Residents had annual health checks and regular care plan reviews. Healthwatch observed positive interactions between staff, residents and family members, and relatives described staff as approachable and supportive. 

A particular strength was the range of activities available. Residents were supported to take part in day centre visits, walks, exercise, cinema trips, holidays, religious activities and supervised cooking sessions. The home also took a flexible approach to meals, with residents involved in menu planning and cultural and religious dietary needs accommodated. Residents and relatives were generally positive about the quality of food and the opportunities available to maintain independence and social participation.

Healthwatch concluded that the service was well managed and person-centred but made three recommendations. These included introducing a system to identify emerging concerns or trends even where no formal complaints had been received, seeking external support to strengthen management development and oversight, and reviewing data protection arrangements to ensure personal information and photographs were stored securely and in line with GDPR requirements.