Enter and view: Mills Meadow Care Home

Healthwatch Suffolk undertook an enter and view visit to Mills Meadow Care Home on 29 March 2026. The purpose of the visit was to gather information about the choices offered to residents in their daily lives, their involvement in care planning and to learn about staff recruitment, retention and training as they all impact on the care provided. 

The Manager who had been in post since Mills Meadows opened in 2015 left recently and the Deputy Manager has stepped up to manage the scheme. One of the Team Leaders has moved up to the Deputy Manager post. This change in management has had a positive effect on the staff, Healthwatch did not observe anything to suggest it had had a detrimental effect on the residents. 

The relatives that Healthwatch spoke to had not been told of the change in management but a meeting is planned to rectify this, shortly. 

Active steps are being taken to increase the permanent staffing levels. A recruitment day held recently has led to three more staff being employed which will lessen the need of the use of agency staff. A formal Induction programme is in place and ongoing training opportunities are available. 

The Action Plan put in place after the CQC visit last year was reviewed in March and shows that progress is being made. Although the care planning process was described to Healthwatch, they were not able to comment on its implementation in practice. Residents and relatives spoke positively about the care provided and the choices offered to them.

Healthwatch saw evidence of good practice and positive relationships between staff and residents throughout the visit.