A guide to Enter & View for service providers
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Guide to Enter & View for health and care services
What is Enter & View?
Enter & View is a function that gives us the legal power to visit any health or social care provider serving individuals aged 18 and over. During these visits, our trained representatives observe care, engage with service users, and gather feedback to identify what is working well and where improvements are needed. These visits provide a valuable opportunity to listen to the experiences of those using healthcare services and offer recommendations for enhancing care based on their insights.
Why do Enter and View visits take place?
Visits may be prompted by one or more of the following reasons:
- Part of a local or regional Healthwatch programme
- Feedback from patients, service users, or the public
- To explore good practices across multiple services
- To follow up on previous recommendations
- A formal request from NHS or social care professionals
- To share improvements from services described as good or excellent
Our Visits
Reports, recommendations and action taken
Legal Obligations
Under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act (2007), and the Public Health Functions and Entry to Premises by Local Healthwatch Representatives Regulations (2013), we have a statutory power to carry out Enter and View visits.
- By law, providers must allow our Authorised Representative to Enter and View the premises, and observe activities on the premises controlled by you as the service provider, as long as this does not affect the provision of care or the privacy and dignity of people using services.
- By law, providers must respond to our report within 20 working days. We will ask you to let us know about any factual inaccuracies, and you also need to respond to any recommendations we have made.
Volunteering roles
If you are interested in volunteering with us we have a variety of roles and something to suit everyone.
Our Enter & View team
We have a team of volunteers who support us to carry out visits to local care homes, hospitals, and other health services.
Here's what we've been doing recently
You can read all the latest reports from our Enter and View visits in the News and Reports section.
“Feedback is very important to the hospice and is key for us to ensure we are delivering the care people want, in the way people wish to receive it. We were delighted to be able to invite the team from Healthwatch to come and visit with a fresh pair of eyes, allowing the patients and their families, staff and volunteers the opportunity to share their views with and independent service.
It is reassuring to hear the team felt welcomed on the day, and wonderful to read some of the positive feedback we have received.
We appreciate the recommendations made which will help to guide us to improve our service.”
Beaumond House Hospice
