Pentlands Nursing Home

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

Caring – this means we looked for evidence that the provider involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The provider always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

People and their relatives commented on the kindness of staff. One person said, “Staff are always so happy. They look after you so well. They are so friendly and people here are happy.” A relative told us, “I think the cheerfulness and enthusiasm of the staff makes it a lovely environment. They take time to talk to both the residents and visitors.”

We observed many positive interactions between people and staff. For example, in the communal lounge during the morning the television was playing jazz music and the atmosphere in the room was calm and relaxed. A staff member, sat next to 1 person, was engaging positively and provided attentive support. People were treated with dignity and respect. One staff member said, “I always knock on people’s doors before I go in. I always close the curtains when giving personal care and cover them with a towel. I never talk over people but always include them in their conversations, asking about their family.”

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

People’s spiritual, cultural and diverse needs were catered for. Care plans included information about people’s religious and cultural preferences. A staff member told us, “Any religious needs, like going to church, or services, we have. One lady goes to church on Sunday, another has church meetings in her room. Two people have a minister who comes in on a Saturday morning for them.” One person, whose first language was not English, enjoyed listening to music from their country of origin, so staff offered them a choice when organising this. Although the person had limited communication and was cared for in bed, listening to music of their choice enriched their life, and had a calming effect when they became anxious or upset. A relative told us, “The staff are outstanding. They show true care and compassion which has surpassed my expectations.”

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

People were encouraged to be as independent as possible. One person said, “Staff are so respectful and they encourage me to do as much or as little as I can, get dressed and have a wash.” They added that visitors were always welcomed and could have lunch with them if they wanted to. This person told us they preferred their own company and liked to stay in their bedroom with the door open. Staff respected this. At lunchtime we saw 1 person was eating their meal independently, with the use of a fork. A review of their care records confirmed that the way this person ate was consistent with their assessed needs.

The provider listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

Relatives and friends were welcome to visit the home at any time. Two people told us they had good access to their family, through visits, by phone and on social media. One relative told us how staff included their loved one in activities, explaining, “This is something they do really well. Staff have time to sit and chat with her and sometimes, when we turn up unannounced, there is a member of staff sitting with her.”

Activities were organised on a daily basis, with 2 activities co-ordinators arranging these, such as games, exercises, and crafts, as well as external entertainers, and school children also visited the home.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff, and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.

We asked staff whether they felt the provider supported their wellbeing, and what was in place to help them do their job effectively. One staff member said, “We have a wellbeing app. We can write how we feel about anything, any improvements you feel you want, and it can be anonymous. If we need something, they will sort it, if they can’t they will tell you. We have had a wellbeing day here for staff.”