Enter and view: Victoria House follow up

Healthwatch Stockton-on-Tees carried out an Enter and View visit to Victoria House. This was a follow up after the previous Enter and View visit in 2018, to highlight the improvements that had been put in place since then. 

Feedback was gathered directly from residents and staff, and via a survey for relatives and friends of the residents. This feedback and observation by the Enter and View representatives found that: It appeared that there had been limited improvements at Victoria House since the previous visit in 2018. The recent departure of the Registered Manager had caused some issues within the home, with there being no Registered Manager in post during this follow up visit. However, the deputy manager, assisted by a relief manager, had ensured that the staff have been supported throughout this unsettling time, which was evident from the feedback Healthwatch gathered from staff and relatives. Healthwatch Stockton-on-Tees received a number of comments from both staff and relatives about a perceived shortage of staff leading to increased pressures particularly on the first floor.

Based on these findings, Healthwatch Stockton-on-Tees made six recommendations around: providing personalised activities for residents; utilising dementia-friendly features; ensuring all residents are well supported to enjoy meals; providing a greater choice of meal options; supporting the new care home manager; and ensuring that everyone, including staff, residents and relatives are aware of the formal complaints procedure. The report includes a response from the service provider.