Enter and view: Norton House

Healthwatch Westminster undertook an announced Enter and View visit to Norton House Care Home in Westminster in November 2025. The purpose of the visit was to gather feedback from residents and staff, observe the care environment, and assess safeguarding practices, particularly for residents who may be more vulnerable due to dementia, disability, or high physical support needs.

Norton House provides accommodation and care for up to 40 older adults across four floors, many of whom are bedbound and require high levels of support. During the visit, Healthwatch representatives spoke with six residents and four staff members and observed day-to-day practice within the home. Overall, residents expressed satisfaction with the care they received and described staff as kind, respectful, and approachable. Most residents reported feeling safe, supported, and not isolated, and said they were comfortable raising concerns with staff or management.

Staff demonstrated a strong understanding of safeguarding procedures and reported that annual safeguarding training had prepared them well to recognise and respond to concerns. Staff also expressed confidence that management would act appropriately if safeguarding issues were raised and felt that staffing levels were generally sufficient to keep residents safe. Observations of staff–resident interactions showed calm, compassionate, and person-centred communication, contributing to a positive and respectful care culture.

The physical environment of the home was found to be clean, well organised, accessible, and suitable for residents with mobility needs, with clear signage and consistent décor to support orientation, particularly for residents living with dementia. Infection prevention measures were also evident, including visitor health checks on arrival. However, the visit noted strong unpleasant odours on some floors, suggesting ventilation issues, and identified this as an area for improvement.

While most residents understood how to report concerns or make complaints, some were unclear about the formal reporting process. A small number of residents reported delays in receiving help, which they attributed to staffing pressures, and one resident mentioned occasional issues with staff mood. The visit also highlighted a minor medication safety concern, where a medication trolley was briefly left unattended, aligning with previous CQC recommendations to strengthen medicines management.

The report concludes that Norton House provides a safe, welcoming, and caring environment with strong safeguarding practices and committed staff. It recommends improvements in ventilation and odour control, clearer and more accessible communication about safeguarding and complaints, continued attention to staff responsiveness and professionalism, and tighter medication management processes. The provider’s response confirms that these recommendations have been acknowledged and that actions have already been put in place to address them.