What is Enter and View?
As a local Healthwatch we are authorised to “Enter and View” health and social care services through the following legislation;
- Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007
- Local Authorities Regulations 2013 (part 4)
By law, health and social care providers have a duty to allow an authorised representative of Healthwatch to carry out an Enter and View visit provided it doesn’t affect service delivery or the privacy and dignity of service users.
These services may include:
- NHS Trusts
- NHS Foundation Trusts
- Local Authorities
- Primary Care Services – GPs, Dentists, Opticians, Pharmacists
- Bodies or institutions which are contracted by the Local Authority or the NHS to provide health and social care services (e.g. adult care homes and day care services)
The goal of Enter and View is to see services in action and understand the experiences of individuals who use them. It is an opportunity for us to make observations and listen to the views of the people using healthcare services so we can make recommendations for improvements based on what we have seen and heard.
We could be visiting a provider based on feedback received about that individual service or in response to themes identified in our research. It is not an inspection, and we work closely with services when planning to ensure a positive visit experience that supports their service delivery and provides information which helps them to identify changes that could improve the experiences of people using the service.
How is Enter and View carried out?
Before the visit, we contact the provider to explain who we are, what Enter and View is and the purpose of the visit. We work with the provider to choose an appropriate date and time for the visit, giving a minimum of one week’s notice. We will only conduct an unannounced visit if we have been unable to confirm a date and time or in exceptional circumstances. We let the provider know the duration of the visit, the number of people attending, their names and share information posters to display.
On the day of the visit, the Enter and View lead will introduce themselves and check the visit is still okay to go ahead. During the visit we make observations about the service environment, and we speak with people using the service such as patients, carers and family. We may speak with staff as well. It is not an inspection so authorised representatives will never ask to see sensitive information such as care plans. At the end of the visit the lead will explain what happens next and might share any positive feedback or concerns they have.
Following the visit, we send our report to the provider. The report will highlight areas of good practice and recommendations for improvement which are based on the observations we’ve made and the feedback we’ve heard. By law, providers must respond to the report within 20 working days, letting us know of any factual inaccuracies and responding to any recommendations we have made, outlining any action they will take in relation to the recommendations or why they will not be taking action. The final report is shared with Healthwatch England, Care Quality Commission, our commissioner and any other relevant bodies and is available on our website.
Our Enter and View Team (authorised representatives)
Abi Harding-White, Enter and View Officer
Authorised representatives undertake the following:
- Enter and View training
- Safeguarding training
- Equality & Diversity training
- GDPR training
- A DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check
Authorised representatives are selected in line with our recruitment policy and subject to them completing the required training and checks. Authorised representatives must wear a visible ID badge throughout the visit. Our team is expected to follow site-specific health and safety protocols and safeguarding procedures as well as abide by our code of conduct. All data gathered is anonymous except for safeguarding concerns which are reported to the provider and Healthwatch Cornwall.