Enter and view: Revisit to Willow Cottage Care Home

Healthwatch South Gloucestershire is the independent health and social care champion. Local Healthwatch is in place to gather the views and experiences of people accessing services, to use this information to influence decisions and to provide information and advice to the local community about health and social care services.

These Enter and View visits are ‘announced’ visits where they notify the provider of their intention to visit. Healthwatch South Gloucestershire visited Willow Cottage on Thursday 11 January 2017. Healthwatch South Gloucestershire undertook the visit with the purpose of finding out if any changes recommended in light of the findings from an enter and view in May 2015 . This approach is one measure being tested to evaluate and assess the impact of enter and view visits.

Overall it appeared that Willow Cottage Care Home had made a number of significant changes and improvements, some in response to the recommendations made by Healthwatch South Gloucestershire; for which they are to be commended. Willow Cottage Care Home will always be constrained in what it can achieve for residents by the nature of the building, part of which was built in 1766. The communal space available limits participation in activities and the opportunity for all to dine around a table together. However recent redecoration, refurbishment and some new soft furnishings have considerably improved the environment for residents.

The Mulberry Group operations manager and quality manager are actively supporting the home manager, who appeared to have grown in confidence. The Mulberry Group take particular care to promote the growth and development of members of staff through a comprehensive training programme and consequently have a low turnover of staff, providing continuity of care for residents and enabling staff/resident relationships to grow. Further improvements are to be taken forward as part of the process to achieve ISO 9001/2015.

Healthwatch South Gloucestershire would like to see the range and variety of activities extended, possibly by developing a volunteer base and seeking intergenerational involvement with the home.

The report includes 0 recommendations and does not include a response from the provider.