How we use our statutory powers to improve local care services

Since COVID-19 restrictions have eased, we have been able to resume our regular programme of Enter and View visits to local care homes. We visited Bridgewood House Care Home in March 2022, and will be carrying out visits in June, with more planned for the coming months. Carrying out Enter and View visits to care homes are an important part of our role in monitoring care service and ensuring standards are met.

What is an Enter and View?

Enter and View visits form an important part of our work. Mandated by the Health and Social Care Act 2012, the visits allow our trained staff and volunteers, often known as Authorised Representatives, to visit local health and social care services. These visits can take place if people tell us there is a problem with a service, but we also carry out visits to services with a good reputation.

The current focus of our Enter and View programme is local care homes. During the COVID-19 pandemic there were restrictions in place that limited the number of visitors to care homes. This meant we were unable to carry out any Enter and Views for nearly two years. While these visitor restrictions were important to protect residents from COVID-19, we were aware that gathering feedback from care home residents about the quality of their care was more challenging. With restrictions eased earlier this year, we have been carrying out more Enter and Views in care homes to hear from residents about their experiences living in their care home.

What happens during an Enter and View visit?

During an Enter and View visit, our team will talk to residents, their family and friends about what it is like to live at the care home. We want to hear about people’s experiences and learn more about how the care home works for them. We will also talk to management and staff and observe the care home in action. Our aim is to get an impartial view of how the service is operated and being experienced.

After our visit, we will produce an official ‘Enter and View Report’, which is shared with the care home provider, and any relevant local service commissioners and regulators. Our report will outline what is working well alongside recommendations about what could have worked better.

All our Enter and View reports are available to view on our website, and you can read our latest one here.