Enter and view: The Fountains Care Centre

Healthwatch Salford conducted an Enter and View visit at The Fountains Care Centre in January 2018 as part of a local programme of Enter and View visits to engage with residents of care homes and understand how dignity is being respected in a care home environment.

The objectives of this visit were to: identify examples of good working practice, observe residents and relatives engaging with the staff and their surroundings and to experience the care home using the 3 primary senses of sight, sound and smell, capture the experience of residents and relatives and any ideas they may have for change.

In addition to making observations, Authorised Representatives conducted interviews with 4 members of staff at the care home. Topics such as quality of care, safety, dignity, respecting and acknowledging the resident’s and families’ wishes and staff training were explored. Authorised representatives engaged with 5 service users at the care home to ask them about their experiences of the home and, where appropriate, other topics such as accessing health care services.

Conversations highlighted issues around the range of activities for residents to take part in and the availability of staff to support these, the need for more visible leadership so that everyone can identify who the manager is, staff training and teambuilding and cosmetic improvements needed to update the décor.

Ten recommendations were made relating to: activities, management presence and identifying staff, care plans, staff training, environment and call bells. The report does not contain a response from the provider.