Enter and View: Rowan Ward, Somerset

This is an Enter and view report from Healthwatch Somerset following a visit to the mental health Rowan Ward by their team on the 26th February 2016.

The Healthwatch Somerset team made the following conclusions and recommendations:

Rowan ward was seen to provide a suitable care environment for patients. Staff were observed to be caring and respectful. Good practice was noted relating to opportunities for patients to get involved and have their say. Patients we spoke with said they were, on the whole, happy with the care and support they received. The ward has experienced difficulties recruiting qualified staff but have managed to use regular agency staff to maintain their full complement of staff. The lack of supported housing providers was discussed and it has been noted that this can affect the timely and supported discharge of patients. Many practices have been commended and some recommendations made that it is hoped will help the service to make further improvements.

Recommendations

1 It is recommended that regular cleaning of the outside area be carried out to ensure the garden is appealing and accessible to all patients. 2 It is recommended that information leaflets about Healthwatch Somerset are made available.

3 It is recommended that the ward look at ‘Good Practice examples – Have your say meetings’ and consider if any of the practices listed might be adopted.

4 It is recommended that the ward look at the activities list and good practice examples detailed on the HWB Somerset.