Healthwatch Tameside - Enter & View Report, Fir Trees Care Home
Healthwatch Tameside is the independent consumer champion for health and social care in Tameside. We listen to local people and gather information about their experiences of using health and social care services, and feed these back to commissioners and providers to help influence change.
Healthwatch Tameside has the legal power to visit health and social care services and see them in action. This power to Enter and View services offers a way for Healthwatch Tameside to meet some of our statutory functions and allows us to identify what is working well with services and where they could be improved.
Fir Trees Care Home is a 44-bed residential and dementia care home operated by HC-One. The visit formed part of Healthwatch Tameside's statutory Enter and View programme, which enables trained representatives to observe services and gather feedback from residents, relatives, carers and staff.
Our visit to Fir Trees Care Home took place on January 14 2026. Overall, our findings indicate that Fir Trees Care Home provides a good standard of care within a supportive, welcoming and well-managed environment.
Residents told us they were happy with the care they receive and felt that staff understood their individual needs and preferences. Family members consistently described staff as caring, compassionate and approachable, with several commenting that staff regularly "go above and beyond" to support residents and their families.
During our visit, representatives observed warm and respectful interactions between staff and residents. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of residents' emotional wellbeing and were seen providing reassurance and support when needed.
The home benefits from positive staff morale, with team members describing management as supportive and approachable. Staff reported feeling valued and listened to, contributing to a positive working environment and continuity of care for residents.
At the time of the report being published, the care provider outlined the progress made towards the recommendations we suggested as part of our Enter & View visit.
1. Repairs to lift buttons - We have requested replacement buttons for the lift, and these are currently being arranged. (Recommendation in progress)
2. Photographs of residents to bedroom doors - Due to GDPR requirements, we are unable to display photographs on residents’ bedroom doors. However, our Dementia Manager has completed a full environmental audit, and we are exploring and implementing alternative ways to support orientation and meaningful personalisation for residents. (Recommendation in progress)
3. Display of information in reception area - These have been reviewed and updated to ensure that clear, relevant, and accessible information is displayed for residents, relatives, and visitors. (Recommendation implemented)
6. A “You Said, We Did” board - We are in the process of implementing a dedicated board to demonstrate how feedback is listened to and acted upon within the home. (Recommendation in progress)
7. Review Touchstone training training - Compliance with tactile (touch) training is currently at 98%, and we continue to work towards achieving 100% compliance. (Recommendation in progress)
9. Bathrooms fixtures and fittings - Toilet roll holders have now been installed in all communal bathrooms to improve dignity and accessibility. (Recommendation implemented)
The full report including findings, recommendations and provider response can all be found below.
This report will be sent to leaders and commissioners at Adult Social Care, Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council (TMBC) and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) alongside the care provider, to highlight the findings from our Enter & View visit to Fir Tree Care Home.
