Enter and View Report: Kemsing Road Respite Service
The purpose of our visit
We’re carrying out a series of visits to learning disability care homes, supported living, and respite facilities in Greenwich to understand the quality of life, and views of those using the service and the experience and perceptions of relatives and carers.
The Health and Social Care Act 2012 allows local Healthwatch authorised representatives to observe service delivery at providers across a range of health and social care services such as hospitals, GPs, and care homes.
Enter and View visits can happen if people tell us there is a problem with a service. They can also occur when services have a good reputation, so we can learn about and share examples of good practice from the perspective of people who experience the service first hand.
Through the programme we help providers to identify what is working well with services and where they could be improved.
How does it work?
Our trained staff and volunteers visit a Greenwich health and social care service. We then spend time at the location, talking both to people receiving care and those providing it.
After our visit, we analyse all the feedback that we have collected and write a report which is published on our website. We share our reports with the organisations involved, the local commissioner, the CQC, and with Healthwatch England.
To protect the safety of service users and staff, we conduct risk assessments and DBS check all our staff and volunteers.
Executive summary
Kemsing Road is a short-term respite service providing accommodation for four adults with learning disabilities and additional needs. Despite its potential capacity to host four guests for short stays, occupancy for the past year has been limited to two. Two guests, initially on short respite stays, have become long-term residents, reducing the overall respite capacity at Kemsing Rd. Families who rely on respite care services do so to provide a break from their caregiving responsibilities. Families we spoke to told us the reduction in capacity at Kemsing Rd increased stress, worry and negatively affected their own health and wellbeing as they now have fewer opportunities to take a break and recharge.
The building is located in a quiet residential area with easy access to a bus stop, train station and off-road parking very close to local amenities and shops. The facility has a small reception, an open-plan kitchen, and four rooms, each with ensuite facilities. Kemsing Road is clean and well laid out, but our observations noted some signs of wear and tear, however the overall atmosphere is warm and welcoming. This small and cosy facility creates a homely atmosphere.
Most staff are longstanding postholders who have built up good relationships with guests. During our visits, guests appeared content and engaged in activities with care workers and we observed warm interactions between staff and guests. However, feedback from families suggests dissatisfaction with:
- capacity – severely limiting opportunities for respite,
- administrative complexity - in identifying available spaces,
- staffing levels and staff training - that do not always meet families expectations.
Recommendations
- Display photographs and names of key staff members in the reception area.
- Display complaints and feedback process
- Increase capacity (back to four respite spaces)
- Create access to wider range of activities for guests
- Greater integration and connectivity with the wider community and links with neighbourhood, voluntary, and charitable organisations.
- Improve communication with families and provide more detailed information both before and after a guest’s stay.
- Provide greater opportunities for feedback with families such as regular group meetings.
