Enter and view: Minchenden Lodge Care Home - revisit

Healthwatch Enfield carried out an unannounced follow-up Enter and View visit to Minchenden Lodge Care Home on 27 May 2026. The purpose of the visit was to assess progress against recommendations made during a previous visit in November 2025 and to observe the quality of care and environment within the home. 

During the visit, Healthwatch representatives spoke with four residents, two staff members and the manager. They found the home to be clean, welcoming and comfortable. Staff were described as pleasant, accommodating and cooperative throughout the visit.

The main area of ongoing concern was the provision of activities for residents. During the previous visit, Healthwatch found that the absence of an activities coordinator had resulted in limited stimulation and opportunities for residents. Although the home had briefly recruited someone to the role, the position was again vacant at the time of the follow-up visit. Care staff were delivering activities such as quizzes, singing sessions, movement exercises and occasional outings, but residents appeared only partly engaged and expressed a desire for more trips outside the home. Healthwatch concluded that recruiting a dedicated activities coordinator remained an urgent priority. 

Healthwatch found that concerns raised previously regarding a resident who had developed a pressure sore and bruising had been fully investigated by the home, and no further action was recommended in relation to this issue. 

The home had also changed ownership since the previous visit and was introducing a new complaints policy. Management stated that updated complaints information, including an easy-read version, would be displayed within the home. Healthwatch welcomed this development but emphasised the importance of ensuring complaints are handled consistently and transparently.

Some environmental improvements had been made since the earlier visit. The dining room had been redecorated and cleanliness standards throughout the home were reported to be good. Concerns previously raised about excessive heat had largely been addressed through the provision of fans in communal areas and bedrooms, and room thermometers for residents. Healthwatch considered no further action necessary in these areas. 

However, several recommendations remained outstanding. The lift still had no formal access control system, although staff stated that its use was supervised and stair access required a keycode. Healthwatch continued to recommend that a formal risk assessment be completed to ensure resident safety and security. In addition, signage throughout the home was still inconsistent and not particularly dementia-friendly. The manager indicated that improvements were being considered, and Healthwatch recommended that new dementia-friendly signage be installed throughout the building. 

Additional observations raised concerns about one resident who had been sitting with a cold breakfast for an extended period and had become upset. After the issue was highlighted, staff replaced the meal. Healthwatch also noted positively that meetings with relatives had increased from every six months to every two months, improving communication and engagement with families.

Overall, Healthwatch found that Minchenden Lodge Care Home had made progress on some previous recommendations, particularly in relation to environmental improvements, temperature management, redecorating and family engagement. However, important issues remained unresolved, including the recruitment of an activities coordinator, improving dementia-friendly signage and undertaking a risk assessment of lift access arrangements.