Enter and view: Highfield House

Healthwatch Somerset undertook an announced enter and view to Highfield House on 27 February 2024.  They spoke to the manager, deputy manager, eight residents and six relatives

• The Healthwatch team all reported great first impressions of the home .
• There is a real sense that this is the residents’ home, and staff appear to be like family within that home. The manager and deputy appear very caring and committed to ensuring each resident is happy and healthy 
• The environment felt homely and welcoming, calm and organised.
•  Interactions between residents and staff were very personalised; staff know residents well. This was the same for staff interactions with relatives 
• It was apparent the home sought to get the right staff to fit the ethos and culture of the home
• The home has good relationships with the GP also the local community 
• Residents all appeared clean, smart and well looked after 
• Residents are able (within reason) to choose when they eat and what they do throughout the day. The ethos is to manage risk but to allow as much freedom and choice within the constraints of those risks 
• Residents have regular contact with family members and there is an open-door policy for relatives to drop in 
• Relatives speak highly of the manager and staff and the way their family members are cared for 
• There are lots of things going on as reflected by the activities calendar and residents can choose whether or not to be involved

There are some recommendations and a response from the provider.