Enter and view: Mount Carmel Court

Healthwatch Salford undertook an enter and view visit to Mount Carmel Court, an extra care housing scheme.  These are self-contained flats within a communal housing scheme that enable older people over 55, and others who require extra support, to continue to live independently with flexible support and the security of 24/7 emergency response and care from on-site staff.

Findings

The housing provider runs and organises activities in the scheme, recently giving more of the responsibility to tenants to run activities. In this scheme the person responsible for activities had three different roles, sometimes working over their hours. In trying to fit in activities coordination and two other roles, sometimes this meant that they were stretched quite thinly and could not always devote the time they wanted to activities. Most tenants joined in with activities, but some had mixed feelings about the changes to activities and spoke of a lack of variety and physical activity.

Tenants generally felt happy at the scheme and that living in an Extra Care housing scheme had been of benefit to them and their health. Six of the seven tenants we spoke to did feel that their care needs were being fully met and some also commented on the busyness of both care and housing staff and how sometimes this meant them waiting a bit longer.

Care staff did not always feel like they had enough time to care for tenants and mentioned being busy and too rushed at times to chat to tenants.

Housing put a lot of time into involving, encouraging and getting to know tenants, with the Scheme Manager being proactive in doing this.

Recommendations – both

• The care provider should work with the housing provider to increase tenant participation in activities and inclusion.
• The care and housing providers should develop a shared workspace so that they can work better together

Recommendations – care provider

• The care provider should review contracted hours with social services and the number of tenants with high care needs and the number of double ups [two staff assisting a tenant with their care] required at the scheme.

There is a detailed response to the recommendations from both the care and housing providers.