Enter and View
About Enter and View
Our Enter and View program gets to the heart of people’s experience of local health and social care services, such as care homes, pharmacies, hospitals and GP practices. We spend time listening to patients, families, carers, and staff to explore what is working well, and what needs to improve. Enter and View visits are an opportunity to help services identify changes that could improve people’s experiences in Kirklees and Calderdale.
Before our visits
We contact services to explain the purpose of the visit and to arrange a date and time. In exceptional circumstances, and where we’ve been unable to confirm a date with the service directly, our visit may be unannounced. We will let services know how many people will be involved in the visit, discuss how long it will take, and provide you with information leaflets and/or posters to display.
On the day of the visit
There will be an Enter and View lead who will introduce themselves and check the visit is still ok to go ahead. During the visit, we will speak to people who use the service, family, friends, and we speak to staff as well. Enter and View is not an inspection, and Authorised Representatives will not ask to see personal or sensitive information such as care plans. The visit is also an opportunity for people to ask questions about what other health and care services are available to them in the community. At the end of the visit, the lead will explain what will happen next, and may also share positive reflections or concerns they may have.
Our report
After our visit, we will send a report to the service. This is based on our observations, and the experiences that people shared with us on the day. Our report may also contain recommendations for improvements. It’s also an opportunity to highlight and share good practice that we have observed. After the visit, if we have significant concerns we will discuss these with the service, and any action needed. We will share the final report, including your response, with the relevant commissioner, regulator, and the public.
What does it mean to be an Authorised Representative?
Authorised Representatives are trained volunteers who assist in every stage of the visit – they help to arrange it, to complete it, and to report back the findings. There is guidance and support to do this provided by our Volunteer Coordinator, Katherine Sharp.
When you are asked to be an Authorised Representative for a visit, planning, preparing, completing and reporting back on that visit can be quite time consuming, but you can be involved in as many or as few visits as you would like to be across the year.
If you are interested in doing this role, just get in touch with Katherine (email: katherine.sharp@healthwatchkirklees.co.uk or phone: 01924 450379) to express an interest. Check out our ‘Volunteer With Us’ page for more information.
In addition to doing Enter and View visits, we’re regularly invited to accompany North Kirklees Clinical Commissioning Group on their Patient Safety Walkabouts at different health care settings. We welcome this opportunity to speak to patients, visitors and staff with the commissioner.
We are clear that any Enter & View work that we do needs to add value to the visits completed in Kirklees by partners at the Care Quality Commission, Clinical Commissioning Group, Kirklees Council and Monitor.
Reports:
