Pentlands Nursing Home

On this page

• Overview
• Shared direction and culture
• Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders
• Freedom to speak up
• Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion
• Governance, management and sustainability
• Partnerships and communities
• Learning, improvement and innovation

Well-led – this means we looked for evidence that service leadership, management and governance assured high-quality, person-centred care; supported learning and innovation; and promoted an open, fair culture.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant the service was consistently managed and well-led. Leaders and the culture they created promoted high-quality, person-centred 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 had a shared vision, strategy and culture. This was based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, engagement, and understanding challenges and the needs of people and their communities.

The registered manager said, “I would say we are homely and approachable. We have a diverse culture here staff wise, we embrace everything really. I think it is good to have a diverse culture of nurses and they all get on well. We have group meetings for what is acceptable and what is not acceptable in speaking with each other. We did this charter for Pentlands and it’s displayed in the staff room. We make sure people speak up when people feel something is not right. We do this for new staff too.”

The provider had a philosophy of care that states, ‘Pentlands aims to provide a service with a secure, relaxed, and homely environment in which their care, wellbeing and comfort is of prime importance for the people who use our service.’

The provider had inclusive leaders at all levels who understood the context in which they delivered care, treatment and support and embodied the culture and values of their workforce and organisation. Leaders had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively. They did so with integrity, openness and honesty.

People and their relatives felt the home was managed well, and that any suggestions or comments would be listened to. A relative said, “If I were going to recommend it to anyone (and I already have in the past to 2 of my friends whose fathers ended up living there), I would say that the home is extremely well managed. There’s little staff turnover and the staff are nice. The food is very good, and the rooms are pleasant, in that order. I can’t think of any areas for improvement.”

A staff member said, “I do feel supported. I wouldn’t have been here that long otherwise.” Another staff member told us, “I’ve always been taught to be patient-centred, that they come first and we look after their requirements. The manager looks after us. Sometimes it can get quite stressful as we have more people coming in that are end of life, but [registered manager] always makes sure we are ok.”

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard.

Staff told us they found the management team approachable and accessible. Staff supervisions and staff meetings enabled staff to have a voice. One staff member said, “I do feel I can speak up and I would go to the sister in charge, or I can see the manager.”

The provider had a whistleblowing policy and guidance for staff on how to raise concerns.

The provider valued diversity in their workforce. They worked towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who worked for them.

There was a stable workforce at Pentlands Nursing Home with many staff having completed many years of service. This meant people receive consistent care from staff who knew them well.

The Provider Information Return stated that anonymous feedback was gathered from staff so their views and opinions were listened to; these highlighted improvements that could be made around equality, diversity and inclusion. The provider had put together a team charter including 9 commitments that everyone was working towards.

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and deliver good quality, sustainable care, treatment and support. They acted on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and shared this securely with others when appropriate.

A range of audits monitored safety and quality across the service and were used to drive improvements. We reviewed audits relating to health and safety, accidents and incidents, care plans and business continuity. The audits were effective and useful in determining the future direction of the home and to ensure safe, consistent care that has resulted in a ‘Good’ rating in each question and for the service overall.

The provider understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services worked seamlessly for people. They shared information and learning with partners and collaborated for improvement.

We asked for feedback from 2 healthcare professionals and their responses have been included in this report. In addition, 1 healthcare professional said, “They are always very knowledgeable about their residents and I always enjoy going to the home.” Another healthcare professional commented, “Based on my experience of working with the service, I consider the home to be a safe, effective and well-led service. The leadership team promotes a culture of openness, responsiveness and continuous improvement, and the staff consistently demonstrate commitment to delivering person-centred care.”

The provider supported learning and development for staff and engaged with external networks to share information and good practice.

Staff were encouraged in their continual professional development through vocational qualifications and ongoing training. Staff were treated with dignity, fairness and respect, and an inclusive working environment was evident, where diversity was valued. A healthcare professional stated, “The service demonstrates a willingness to learn, responds appropriately to clinical advice and works collaboratively to achieve positive outcomes for residents.”