Glebe House Enter +View Report
In April this year our Involvement Officer and one of our volunteers (an Authorised Representative) carried out an 'Enter and View' at Glebe House. The aim of an 'Enter and View' visit is to listen to the feedback of service users and staff. This feedback is then used to produce a report which highlights good practice and suggestions for improvement. Glebe House is a residential service supporting a total of 24 individuals with mental health needs. The team supports individuals through both residential care and/or a unique re-enablement pathway to gain skills and move on to independent living.
During the visit, two surveys were used, one for service users and one for staff. Both surveys explored menu choices and involvement in making suitable food choices. In total, 10 services users and 10 staff members volunteered to complete the surveys.
Key Findings
- It was reassuring to see that the information provided by all the staff and the service users was very consistent.
- The staff offer advice on meal choice, especially for those with certain health conditions, but it is always the service user who has the final choice.
- All staff who completed the survey confirmed that the staff involved in meal planning are aware of the dietary requirements, hydration and nutrition needs of the service users.
- The cook actively seeks feedback from service users.
- All services users are actively involved in meal planning and asked about their likes and dislikes as part of the admissions process.
- Some suggestions made by service users included: increasing the availability of a greater variety of fruit and sandwich fillings, having still and sparkling water more readily available and altering some meal times.
- Within the dining area, the weekly menu is on display for all service users as a reminder of the options on offer. It contains photographs of food choice to support the needs of some of the services users.
- For service users with additional needs, there is always a healthy meal option available. The cook and staff work with service users to find suitable alternatives. The staff appear to be very accommodating.
- The overall sentiment of the responses from service users was very positive, with the majority feeling the meals tasted nice and were well presented. They also felt that they were given enough time to eat and enjoy their food.
Recommendations
The suggestions made by service users were passed on to the home. We also made some recommendations to the home on how they could improve their service. These recommendations related to exploring the relationship between food and wellbeing and specific training around meal planning for those with learning disabilities.
We are very pleased to hear that some of our recommendations have already been taken on board by the team.
