Enter and view: Hollybank Respite Centre
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Healthwatch Bromley undertook an Enter and View visit to Hollybank Respite Centre on 20 July 2022. They spoke to 4 staff members, and 1 relative filled in a questionnaire.
Hollybank is a children’s respite centre in Bromley, offering breaks for children with disabilities, complex health care needs, autism, and challenging behaviours aged five to 17.
The entrance is well-organised and welcoming. The decor is simple, with colourful illustrations. The centre has two separate units: Poppy and Sunshine - the latter is a medical needs unit. The front door has effective security doors. Each unit has a separate bell to alert staff or management.
For one night, the centre can take up to six service users over both units. There is one emergency bed that is funded by the council.
The communal areas in both the Poppy and the Sunshine unit are spacious with comfortable sofas, toys, and a television with a protective case.
All bedrooms in both units have a replaceable picture and the name of the service user on the door to show who will be using the room on a particular night.
Bedrooms have hoists and high/low beds to support the needs of different service users. Bedroom furniture is intentionally heavy to avoid service users being able to pick it up. Floor beds have also been created in some rooms, with soft sides for service users’ safety.
The centre provides a range of activities to suit each service user’s needs. Provision is made for any service users, and family/carers, with English as an additional language.
There is an arts and crafts room on the first floor and an IT room which is popular with many service users. The centre has IT protection on all computers to protect service users from inappropriate sites and viruses. Service users can suggest activities if they have the capacity to communicate and engage with staff. Most are non-verbal and the centre provides a book with pictures to assist them.
Staff teach service users skills such as personal care to encourage them to be more independent. They help them to try new foods, and over time they have noticed improvements with some of the service users.
Staff appeared genuinely warm and engaged with service users. A family member said their children were happy and they felt listened to if they raised any concerns.
The report contains several recommendations.