Enter and view: Regency Court

Healthwatch Bromley carried out an announced Enter and View visit to Regency Court, an extra care housing scheme in Bromley, on 31 March 2026. Regency Court is managed by Anchor Housing, while care services are provided by Creative Support. The service accommodates older adults aged 55 and over and offers independent living with access to care and support when required. At the time of the visit, 39 tenants were receiving care packages. The service was rated Good by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following its most recent inspection.

Overall, inspectors found that Regency Court provided a safe, welcoming, and well-maintained environment. The building was accessible, with automatic entrance doors, good public transport links, designated parking bays, clear signage, and secure access to residential areas. The communal areas, dining room, assisted bathroom, and tenant flats were generally clean, spacious, and well equipped to support independence and accessibility. Dementia-friendly signage was present throughout the building, and safety features such as panic alarms, smoke detectors, pull cords, and key safes were widely available. 

Inspectors highlighted several strengths. The dining arrangements were well organised, with large-print place cards and clear allergen information. The garden provided a secure outdoor space, and a guest suite was available for visiting relatives. The service also maintained community links, including involvement from local school pupils. Staff interacted with tenants respectfully and appeared committed to supporting residents' wellbeing. 

However, Healthwatch identified a number of areas for improvement. No visitor signing-in book was available at the entrance, reducing oversight of people entering the building. Several environmental issues were noted, including the absence of dementia-friendly clocks, one clock displaying the wrong time, untidy board games, visible rubbish near curtains, dated garden décor, damaged outdoor furniture, and the lack of a designated smoking area.

Some safety concerns were also identified. Inspectors noted the absence of evacuation equipment in communal stairwells, alarm pull cords that were partially obstructed, and trip hazards around sunken drain covers in the garden. Although fire safety arrangements were generally good, Healthwatch recommended that these issues be addressed to enhance tenant safety further.

Activities were considered limited. The service provided only one organised activity each day, with no activities scheduled on Thursdays. While tenants could take part in activities such as gardening, quizzes, and occasional musical events, family members and inspectors felt a broader and more frequent programme would better support social engagement, physical activity, and wellbeing.

Feedback from tenants and relatives was generally positive. Most tenants reported feeling safe, supported, and involved in decisions about their care. Family members were complimentary about the quality of care and communication from staff. Nevertheless, some concerns were raised. Five tenants said they were dissatisfied with support received from external health services such as GPs, dentists, and pharmacies. One tenant reported dissatisfaction with personal care, while others expressed concerns about meal quality or feeling unheard. 

Staff feedback was also largely positive. Staff felt supported by management, valued the induction programme, and reported receiving adequate breaks. However, some staff wanted additional training opportunities, one staff member was dissatisfied with handover arrangements between shifts, and another felt there were insufficient opportunities to support tenants effectively.

Healthwatch made a number of recommendations, including introducing a visitor signing-in system, installing dementia-friendly clocks, improving housekeeping and garden maintenance, addressing safety hazards, expanding activities, providing a visible comments box, improving coordination with local health services, reviewing an individual's care concerns, and enhancing staff training and communication processes. 

In its formal response, Creative Support stated that several recommendations had already been addressed. Clocks are now checked regularly, communal areas have been tidied, garden hazards have been marked more clearly, alarm pull cords have been made accessible, a comments box is in place, and activity programmes continue to be reviewed with tenant input. Some recommendations, such as evacuation equipment in stairwells, were considered not applicable because Regency Court is an extra care housing scheme rather than a care home.