Enter and view: Sharnbrook House Care Home

Healthwatch Bedford Borough carried out an Enter and View visit to Sharnbrook House, a care home supporting people living with dementia, sensory impairments and physical disabilities. The visit found a bright, welcoming environment and a new manager who had been in post for just ten days and was already introducing improvements. The home was clean, well ventilated and undergoing changes to create a more homely atmosphere, including plans for a hair salon, activities room and a dementia village-style area with a café and library. 

Residents and staff were generally positive about the service. The home had strong relationships with local healthcare providers, regular visits from GPs and community health teams, and access to a range of activities and outings using the home's own minibus. Staff reported feeling listened to by the new manager and were optimistic about the future direction of the service. 

Healthwatch identified several areas for improvement. Residents raised concerns about a decline in food quality over recent years, and some environmental features could be made more dementia friendly, including clearer bedroom door identification and contrasting toilet seats. During the visit, some staff were not wearing visible name badges, and limited staff engagement with residents was observed because many staff were attending training sessions. 

Healthwatch concluded that Sharnbrook House was working to rebuild a positive culture following a difficult period and had already begun responding to feedback. Recommendations included improving staff identification, strengthening dementia-friendly signage and design, involving residents more closely in menu planning, and ensuring sufficient staffing remains available when training takes place. The provider subsequently reported that most recommendations had already been implemented, including new name badges, personalised bedroom door displays, resident committees and improved staff information boards.