Enter and view: Heeley Bank Care Home

Healthwatch Sheffield carried out an Enter and View visit to Heeley Bank Care Home, a 67-bed service providing residential dementia care, nursing care and nursing dementia care. Overall, the findings were highly positive, with residents, relatives and staff expressing strong satisfaction with the care provided. Healthwatch identified several areas of particularly good practice, including extensive and meaningful activities, detailed care planning, strong healthcare partnerships and a culture where residents were treated as individuals. 

A notable strength was the home's person-centred approach. Life histories, preferences and individual needs were incorporated into care planning, while personalised features such as colour-coded bedroom doors, named staff photographs and stimulating memory displays helped residents, particularly those living with dementia, navigate and feel at home. Staff demonstrated detailed knowledge of residents' personalities, preferences and routines, and relatives confirmed that residents were treated with dignity and respect. Oral health, vision care and other healthcare needs were carefully managed through strong partnerships with local GPs, dentists, opticians and community health services.

Healthwatch found staff training and workforce stability to be another major strength. Staff turnover was low, many employees had worked at the home for several years, and there was a strong emphasis on professional development, including NVQ qualifications and specialist training. Staff spoke positively about management, supervision and opportunities for progression, while observers noted warm, respectful and supportive interactions between staff and residents throughout the visit. 

The home's activity programme was regarded as exemplary. Two dedicated activity coordinators organised daily events including craft groups, themed celebrations, games, outings, entertainment and reminiscence activities. The home maintained strong links with the local community through schools, churches, Heeley City Farm and a day care service. Residents and relatives were actively involved in activities, and communication was supported through newsletters, activity schedules and regular meetings. Healthwatch concluded that activities represented a particular strength because of both their variety and the way they connected residents with the wider community. 

Food, nutrition and end-of-life care were also viewed positively. Residents appeared happy with meals, menus were developed with resident input, food was sourced locally where possible, and individual preferences were accommodated. End-of-life care training was provided through St Luke's Hospice and the home sought to support residents to remain in familiar surroundings whenever possible. Recommendations focused mainly on enhancing outdoor spaces and exploring specialised bathing equipment for residents with significant mobility restrictions. Overall, Healthwatch found Heeley Bank to be a well-managed, caring and highly engaging service delivering a high standard of person-centred care.