Enter and view: Hollybank House

Healthwatch Derbyshire conducted an enter and view visit on Ashcroft care home, a privately run residential home offering care and nursing to elderly residents including those who have dementia, and can alsoprovide care for younger adults and those who have

additional physical disability. At the time of the visit there were 39 residents. The home has 35 rooms, five of which can provide double occupancy.

The visit was arranged as Healthwatch Derbyshire invited local health and social care organisations to nominate services where an Enter & View was considered suitable and would benefit both the service and the provider and/or commissioner of that service, and Hardwick Clinical Commissioning Group nominated this service.

Observation by the Enter and View representatives reported that the décor is generally very pleasant and an on-going programme of refurbishment is in place, that residents appear to be happy with the care received and four residents were interviewed and all expressed satisfaction with their care. Good practice observed included:

- The cook asks each resident in the morning for their choice of lunch and dinner

- Residents’ choice of preferred gender of care staff to support them is identified

- Activities co-ordinator offers a range of activities to cater for differing tastes

- Bedroom door signs are suitably personalised

The report contains 8 recommendations, including;

- To consider creating a designated disabled parking bay for visitors

- To ensure information leaflets for visitors in the entrance area are better arranged/presented

- To consider providing relatives/visitors with an appropriate space where they can sit and talk to their loved ones

The report includes a response from the service provider.