Review of Extra Care Housing
Healthwatch Hounslow staff and volunteers visited four extra care housing schemes to hear resident views on services to understand how services are currently running, identify service strengths and see where challenges persist.
During each visit, we interviewed residents and carers of residents living in extra care housing in Hounslow. We were able to meet residents in their own homes and view some of the activities and restaurant facilities at different extra care housing schemes.
Following our visits, we shared findings with the extra care housing scheme managers and with local commissioners. The aim of this report is to highlight resident experiences of extra care housing in Hounslow, to understand what works well.
Some of the service areas of extra care housing we focused on were:
- Communal aspects (resident meetings, activities and restaurant services).
- Resident views on independence and personal needs
- Outcomes at Extra Care Housing Schemes in the borough.
- Mental and physical wellbeing, alongside aspects of general care.
What works well:
- Resident activities supported residents to stay active, socialise, and enjoy being part of a community.
- Resident meetings gave people a chance to share their views and have a say in decisions that directly affect them.
- Mental wellbeing was improved through communal aspects of the extra care housing schemes’ helping to reduce loneliness.
- Physical wellbeing is supported by having opportunities to move around and stay active.
- Care and support from staff was viewed positively by most residents, who said they were happy with the help they received.
- Building independence was one of the main benefits residents spoke about, as they were able to live independently while knowing support was available when needed.
What could be improved:
- Access to resident activities for residents with mobility and health issues was a key theme that arose across all four homes.
- Lack of variety of food available at the restaurant for residents with different dietary needs was also a common theme.
Downloads
Our review on Extra Care Housing
File download
Review of Extra Care Housing - Healthwatch Hounslow June 2026
