- Care home
Pilgrims View
Assessment report published 11 August 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
About the service
Pilgrims View is a care home. There were 34 people using the service at the time of the inspection.
Who the service is for
This is a specialist service for older people and people living with dementia.
Key findings
We carried out this assessment on 22 July 2026. The service was previously rated as good. We carried out this assessment to confirm whether the rating of good remains accurate. This report does not provide detailed information on areas where we found practice continues to meet a good standard.
The service was due to close approximately 8 weeks after our site visit. People had planned, with staff and relatives, to move to a new care home which would offer more modern facilities, including ensuite rooms. The provider had continued to invest in the current building. The building and equipment were maintained and met people’s needs. Staff told us faulty equipment had been replaced promptly to support them to provide safe care.
People can only be deprived of their liberty to receive care and treatment with appropriate legal authority. In care homes, this can be done through a procedure called the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), which is part of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). We checked whether the service was working within the principles of the MCA and how they managed DoLS within the service. We found staff and leaders worked within the MCA. DoLS authorisations were appropriately applied for and overseen. People were not subject to unlawful or excessive restrictions. They had choice, control and freedom over their lives. Staff supported people to make informed decisions and offered them choices in ways which suited them. For example, staff showed people the meal options before they decided what they wanted to eat.
Staff knew how to identify and report any concerns they had. They were assured the registered manager, and the provider would act on any concerns. The registered manager had worked with the local authority safeguarding team to investigate any concerns and learn lessons.
Staff understood potential risks to people and planned their care with them to keep them safe. For example, staff knew what may cause people to become anxious or upset and how to reassure them. Other risks, such as the risk of falling had been assessed and care had been planned to keep people as safe as possible, such as alert mats to tell staff when people were moving around without support.
Medicines were managed safely. Effective processes were in operation to order, store, administer and dispose of people’s medicines.
People’s needs were assessed with them before they began to use the service. This was so leaders could be assured staff had the skills to meet people’s needs and understood their preferences. Staff used recognised assessment tools to keep people’s needs under review and ensure effective information sharing with health care professionals.
There were enough staff to meet people’s needs. We observed staff had the skills to provide people’s care, including meeting their dementia needs. Staff explained to us how they distracted people when they were anxious and this helped them remain calm. Staff worked together as a team.
Systems were in operation to learn from accidents and incidents. An analysis was completed to look for patterns and trends and take appropriate action to prevent issues occurring again. Feedback from people, relatives, staff and visiting professionals was requested regularly. The feedback received had been positive.
The registered manager worked with local colleges to offer work placements to social care students, supporting them to get on the job experience to support their learning.
Regular checks were completed on all areas of the service. Action was planned to address any shortfalls found and checked to ensure actions were complete and effective. A continuous improvement plan was in place, and this had led to the development of a new purpose built service.
People's experience of this service
People benefitted from a culture of dignity and respect. The provider’s philosophy of care included challenging feelings of loneliness, helplessness and boredom. A relative commented, “They spend time with my loved one.”
We observed people had privacy and their equality and diversity needs were understood and meet. Relatives described the care their loved ones received as, “They are gentle and kind and caring”, “They treat them with respect and like them. They have all bonded with my loved one” and “Staff are lovely with loved one. They love them and they care for them really well.”
Relatives had complimented staff on the care they provided to them and their loved ones. A relative had written to staff saying, ‘I can confidently say my relative could not have been in better hands, your care and compassions is second to none. During their final days, I was touched by the genuine concern and support for my welfare, a memory I will never forget.’
People and their relatives told us they felt safe at the service and were confident to raise any concerns they had with leaders, their comments included, “I have raised a query in the past and I was happy with the outcome” and “I haven’t needed to but I would be happy to and feel they would deal with it properly.”
We observed staff supported people to remain safe whilst maintaining their independence. Relatives told us staff supported their loved ones when they were at risk, such as a risk of falling. They told us, “They have had a series of falls but staff always follow them up” and
“They are at risk of falling. Staff assist them as much as they can. They have a pressure mat in their room, so staff know when they are up.”
We observed staff working together to support people in a timely way. When people asked to go to the toilet staff supported them promptly, letting them know if they needed to get equipment and another staff member to support the person to stand and move. A relative told us, “The low staff turnover has really helped” the continuity of their relative’s care.
People received their medicines when they needed them. Relatives confirmed staff administered medicines as prescribed and checked people had taken their medicines. They told us they were informed of any changes. A relative told us, “Every time there is a change they call me and let me know and tell me what they doctor said.” People received pain relief when needed. A relative commented, “Staff call the doctor if they’re in any pain and follow what they say. They have medication available.”
People were involved in planning their care with staff. We observed staff responding promptly to people’s requests for support. Staff knew people well and understood how they preferred their care to be given. Relatives told us staff kept them up to date with any changes in people’s care. Their comments included, “They talk to us and let me know of any updates and changes and ask for my input” and “They keep me updated on anything they do.”
People had enough to eat and drink. The weather was very warm when we visited. We observed people being offered drinks regularly. Relatives told us, “They have enough drinks during the day”, “They can have anything 24/7” and “There is plenty of food, little and often.” People were involved in planning menus. The chef offered taster plates and gathered people’s feedback on menu ideas. On the day of our visit a new menu option was offered alongside a favourite option. Many people tried the new option and feedback was positive.
People were able to have visitors whenever they wished. A relative told us they could visit, “Anytime, day or night.” People had enough to do during and were supported to take part in activities and pastimes they enjoyed. This was confirmed by relative who said, “There are activities and they have 2 activities co-ordinators now which has made a difference.” Staff arranged special events at the service such as visiting animals and singers. They also held events where people and their relatives could get together and enjoy food, drinks and music together.
We asked relatives what they felt was the best thing about the service and they told us, “The warmth that you get when you walk in. It’s a friendly home” and “The staff seem to have been there a while, and they have a nice caring atmosphere”.