Enter and view: Birchfield Care Home

Healthwatch Blackburn with Darwen carried out an Enter and View visit to Birchfield Care Home, a 24-bed service supporting older adults, including people living with dementia, mental health conditions and physical disabilities. The home received an overall amber rating. Representatives found a spacious Victorian property with attractive period features and residents generally reported feeling safe and satisfied with their bedrooms and the care they received. However, a number of concerns were identified relating to the environment, activities, mealtime experience and staff morale.

Residents were largely positive about staff, describing them as kind and supportive, although one resident reported negative interactions with a member of staff and another felt staffing levels could be improved. Feedback on food was generally favourable, with residents saying portions were generous and that they usually had enough choice. However, some residents expressed dissatisfaction with aspects of meal provision, including limited condiments and inconsistency in the availability of extra portions. 

The main concerns centred on activities and mealtimes. Many residents reported there was little to do beyond a weekly exercise session, with some describing the home as boring and lacking opportunities for outings or meaningful engagement. During the lunchtime observation, Healthwatch found the dining experience lacked warmth and social interaction. Representatives observed limited encouragement for residents during meals and highlighted concerns that some residents struggled to eat independently without appropriate adaptive equipment. One resident reported feeling isolated after being left eating separately from others. 

Healthwatch also identified wider organisational issues affecting the atmosphere of the home. Staff morale appeared low, with employees describing the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, management changes and longer working hours. Some felt their efforts during the pandemic had not been adequately recognised or supported. The environment was clean but considered tired and in need of refurbishment, with limited dementia-friendly adaptations and signage. The report concluded that while residents generally felt safe and cared for, improvements were needed to activities, dining experiences, environmental presentation, staffing support and communication. Many of these issues were later shown to have been addressed during the 2022 revisit.