Visits to care providers
What is Enter and View?
Under Healthwatch regulations, local service providers have a duty to allow Healthwatch organisations to ‘Enter and View’ their premises, so that our Authorised Representatives (including volunteers) can see and hear how local people are experiencing the services provided. Premises where health and social care is publicly funded and delivered include Care Homes, Hospitals, GP surgeries, Dentists, and Opticians.
Visits to services
Every Enter and View visit will have a specific purpose.
We can make unannounced visits to services in response to concerns raised by members of the public and partner organisations. It allows us to observe for ourselves how local services are being run, and to speak to staff and service users to collect their views.
It could be to contribute to a wider local Healthwatch programme of work, pulling together insight from local Healthwatch to get a national picture.
Or, it could be to look at a single issue across a number of premises.
What happens after our visit?
When we carry out an Enter and View visit to a service, we write a report with recommendations and decide if a follow-up visit is needed. If necessary we can escalate our concerns to Warwickshire County Council, the Care Quality Commission, Healthwatch England, and Safeguarding.
What training do Authorised Representatives have?
Healthwatch Warwickshire Authorised Representatives undertake training in 'Enter and View', Mental Capacity Act & DOLS (Liberty protection), the Mental Health Act, Dementia Awareness, Mental Health Awareness, Equality and Diversity. They bring a wealth of experience and a passion for improving health and social care services for people in Warwickshire.
Residential Care Homes
When we visit a residential care home we spend time with the residents, finding out what it is like to live in the home, their likes and dislikes. We speak with relatives who are visiting and hear from staff about what it is like to work there.
Our Enter and View reports are a description of what we saw and heard on the day and include recommendations for improvement. They are published on our website, read by people looking for care homes, and shared with Healthwatch England, the Integrated Care Board and Warwickshire County Council Quality Assurance Team.
Download our Guide to Enter and View Visits for Care Home Managers
GP Practices
Between February 2015 and March 2017, we conducted an in-depth assessment of patient experience at the 82 GP practices across Warwickshire. Over a two year period, our Authorised Representatives conducted Enter and View visits to each of the 82 GP practices, as well as distributing patient surveys. Healthwatch Warwickshire surveyed more than 2000 patients, obtaining valuable independent intelligence about their specific experiences and concerns. You can search for the reports from each individual surgery here.
Mental Health Services
In 2017, a review into Warwickshire's mental health services was carried out, which included:
- A visit to inpatient wards at St Michael’s Hospital in Warwick , including a 'Have Your Say Day'
- Visit to Manor Site in Nuneaton
- Visits to Stratford Healthcare and Manor Court Avenue
- A meeting with Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust (CWPT) to discuss the admission and discharge process.
