Pytchley Court 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 the last inspection on 1 September 2020 the service was in breach of legal regulation in relation to the governance of the service. At this inspection the service was no longer in breach of the regulation relating to governance as they had made improvements and embedded the governance systems. At our last inspection we rated this key question requires improvement. At this inspection the rating has changed to outstanding. This meant service leadership was exceptional and distinctive. Leaders and the service culture they created drove and improved high-quality, person-centred care. The registered manager had, over the last 4 years, been able to embed systems and the culture.

This service scored 89 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The service had a very clear shared vision, strategy and culture. This was based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, engagement, and an exceptional understanding of the challenges and the needs of people and their communities. People were seen as individuals with full lives and experiences. People told us, “What I like about staff here is that they do include everybody, no matter how able a person is they do try to help them to participate” and “I would have no problems recommending this place, I would say that it is a place with good care and that residents feel appreciated and free to live as they like it, I call it my pad.” A relative told us, “I’d say the social aspects of the home have been the biggest benefit [Name’s] got from being in the home. They definitely helped them to settle in initially and [Name] has responded to the ethos there; a relaxed, sociable atmosphere, not at all institutional.” A professional working with the service told us, “The staff at Pytchley Court really try to develop very personalised care and support plans and focus on the individual and their likes and preferences. These care plans are born out of a lot of detailed research with families and friends to try and identify how to give people the best life possible and respond to their personal needs.”  A relative said, “The senior downstairs is brilliant in understanding people and standing up for high standards and attitudes.”

The service had exceptionally 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 always did so with integrity, openness and honesty. Staff told us, “The team are lovely, we all support and respect each other. Without this and good communication we wouldn’t be able to provide good care” and “I’m proud of [registered manager] and [deputy manager] as they pull everyone together.” A relative said, “The highly experienced manager sets clear priorities putting the residents’ needs first. All the staff I have met are genuinely motivated and empathise with their ‘extended family’.” The service had won a national team award in August 2024; the judges awarded this for long-term outstanding contribution to social care. The registered manager involved people and staff in celebrating and collecting the award. A person expressed a wish to wear a dinner suit; they were supported to go shopping to buy this which they proudly wore to the ceremony. A senior health professional told us they were impressed that staff had brought people to the ceremony, “I felt this really showed a commitment to enabling older people to live their best lives, and despite the logistical challenges, the team at Pytchley Court ensured that the residents were at the event.” The GP told us, “[Staff] are well led by their manager and her deputy. They seem very supportive of the staff and have a good overview of the care, the residents receive. This must help in staff retention, and certainly helps with continuity of care the patients receive.” Staff were recognised for their skills and their interests were promoted, for example, staff were kindness, nutrition and safer handling champions.

The service fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. Staff had information about the whistleblowing and safeguarding procedures which they discussed at team meetings. Staff told us they were confident in raising ideas which were listened to, discussed and taken up. A member of staff told us, “I can go to the [registered manager], [deputy manager] and the nurses for everything, they listen and give extra training.”

The service valued diversity in their workforce. They work towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who work for them. The diverse staff team brought their experience and culture and shared these with each other and people at the service. Staff had information readily available to them about their rights, they were supported to integrate into the local community through people’s activities. The registered manager worked closely with staff ensure they understood people’s cultures, religious and spiritual needs. For example, staff celebrated black history month; they chose to do this by dressing in traditional dress and involving the chef to cook their traditional foods. People told us they enjoyed the colours of the fabrics, the African film, music and dance.

The service 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 act on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and share this securely with others when appropriate. A relative said, “I receive an annual questionnaire about the home. We also have residents’ meetings, which I like to attend but I can join in on-line otherwise. They provide a good exchange of information and ideas. [Registered manager] deals with any issue immediately.” Another relative said, “They ring me every month under resident of the day and I also go to the meetings, so I feel a part of the home and fully involved.” The registered manager carried out daily, weekly and monthly checks to monitor and improve all aspects of the care people received including stock of medical equipment and medicines, information about people’s needs being accurate and up to date, and action plans discussed with staff.

The service clearly understood and carried out their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, and services worked seamlessly for people. They always shared information and learning with partners and collaborate for improvement. The registered manager built relationships with organisations that helped to improve people’s experiences and benefit the community such as the local church and nursery. A relative said, “There’s going to be a joint event with the children’s nursery next door, they do seem good at promoting community involvement.” Nursing and paramedic students who carried out their work experience said, “The sense of community within the care home played a crucial role in facilitating my learning development as a student nurse” and “Staff members were supportive and eager to share their knowledge and expertise. Their willingness to guide and mentor me created a positive learning environment.” The local college learning disability students helped to improve and repair the garden, and one continued to volunteer. The registered manager always remembered to include and thank the volunteers for their contribution to people’s experiences. The commissioning and quality monitoring team gave feedback, “If we could clone [registered manager and deputy manager] that would be great! They are a great team and work with us fantastically. They are a pleasure to work with; their approach is really good: they respond really quickly and they work really well with Brokerage and Adult Social Care.”

The service had a strong focus on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They always encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for people. They actively contribute to safe, effective practice and research. The registered manager and a relative had taken part in several projects from universities across the country to support in their research projects such as isolation in care homes. The registered manager said, “We are also a member of the ‘research ready’ care home network and work closely with Enabling Research in Care Homes (Enrich) to support research inn various topics. We also work closely with National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) to improve discharge to people in a timely manner from hospitals.” The Provider’s quality monitoring team said, “As an Organisation HC-One colleagues visit frequently to learning from Pytchley Court and their amazing well-being ideas and outcomes” and “The Home Manager and Area Manager team work closely to share information and learning from across which is then shared with every colleague in the home to continue that learning culture.”