Oct, 21

2024

Best Care Practices, Care Management, Dementia, Personalisation

The Importance of Positive Relationships in a Residential Care Setting: Why Peverel Court Care is a leading provider of elderly care in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire

Choosing the right care home is one of the most important decisions families can make for their elderly loved ones. For those considering care options in Buckinghamshire, Peverel Court Care emerges as a provider that goes beyond basic care needs. Established in 1987, this family-run business has built a reputation for offering not just high-quality care, but a nurturing environment where residents feel valued, safe, and respected.

Why Positive Relationships Matter at Peverel Court Care

At Peverel Court Care, fostering positive relationships between care staff and residents is at the heart of everything we do. These relationships are essential to delivering personalised care that meets the unique needs of each resident, while ensuring their emotional well-being is prioritised. Our care team’s consistent, compassionate interactions build trust—one of the pillars of Peverel Court Care’s ethos.

By understanding the history and personal journey of each resident, the staff can create a home-like atmosphere that fosters a sense of belonging. This not only alleviates anxiety and fear but also contributes to the residents’ overall happiness.

Trust, Quality, and Personalised Care

Trust is essential for residents, particularly when they are adjusting to a new environment. Peverel Court Care recognises that each resident brings their own experiences and preferences, which is why our team is trained to provide care that respects individual dignity and autonomy. Residents are greeted by familiar faces daily, offering reassurance and building long-lasting bonds that enhance their emotional and physical well-being.

At Peverel Court Care, high-quality care is not just a standard; it’s a promise. Every resident receives personalised care plans tailored to their specific needs. Whether it’s assistance with daily activities or more specialised medical care, the attention to detail ensures that every resident enjoys a superior quality of life.

“All the staff throughout his three-year stay at Bartlett’s Residential Care Home

were so generous with their time.”

— G M (SISTER OF RESIDENT)

Communication: The Key to Building Positive Relationships

Effective communication is another cornerstone of Peverel Court Care’s approach across our three family-run care homes – Bartlett’s, Stone House and Merryfield. Staff engage in regular, open dialogue with both residents and their families, ensuring that concerns and needs are addressed promptly. For residents, the opportunity to share their stories and interact with staff on a personal level creates meaningful connections, reducing feelings of isolation and loneliness that can be common in residential care settings.

Engaging Residents for a Better Quality of Life

A key aspect of life at Peverel Court Care is the emphasis on resident engagement. From social activities to involvement in decision-making processes, each of our homes empowers residents to take an active role in their daily lives. This not only helps maintain a sense of purpose but also fosters positive relationships among residents and staff. Whether it’s group activities, a trip to the local pub for lunch, tailored hobbies, or simply shared moments of conversation, these interactions strengthen the community atmosphere within the home.

Mental and Emotional Well-Being

The impact of positive relationships on mental and emotional health cannot be overstated. At Peverel Court Care, compassionate, personalised care significantly reduces the risks of depression and anxiety among residents. The environment is designed to be more than just a place for care—it’s a home where residents feel emotionally supported and genuinely cared for, which plays a crucial role in maintaining their mental well-being.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the importance of positive relationships in residential care is central to the philosophy at Peverel Court Care. Through our commitment to personalised care, compassionate interactions, and resident engagement, they have cultivated an environment that not only meets the physical needs of their residents but also enhances their mental and emotional well-being. For families seeking a residential care provider that prioritises both quality care and meaningful relationships, Peverel Court Care is the choice that ensures your loved ones feel truly at home.

If you’re beginning your care search, we invite you to explore what makes Peverel Court Care at it’s three leading family-run care homes different. Schedule a visit to one of our beautiful homes, meet our team, and discover how we can provide your loved one with exceptional care and support.

For more information, contact us today to speak with one of our care experts.

Bartlett’s Residential Care Home

Portway Road, Stone, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire,HP17 8RP

Mibell Hernandez (RGN) – Registered Manager

Tel: 01296 747 000

Email: Mibell@bartlettscare.co.uk

Merryfield House Nursing Home

33 New Yatt Road, Witney, Oxfordshire, OX28 1NX

Fran Torres (RGN) – Registered Manager

Tel: 01993 775 776

Email: office@merryfieldcare.co.uk

Stone House Nursing Home

Bishopstone Road, Stone, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP17 8QX

Hope Timbe (RGN) – Registered Manager

Tel: 01296 747 122

Email: office@stonehousecare.co.uk

Jul, 31

2023

Care Management, Wellbeing

The value of time spent outdoors

With summer in full-swing we are enjoying our outside spaces more than ever. Read on to discover the benefits of getting outside for older people, the many ways we enjoy the great outdoors in our care homes, and what our residents, staff and families love the most about getting outside.

The sun is out, the flowers are blooming and at Peverel Court Care Homes we are making the most of our outside spaces. We aim to do this all-year round (wrapping up against the cold when needed), but summer time naturally lends itself to more of our residents wanting to go outside.

Why is getting outside beneficial?

Natural England recommend that we all spend at least two hours a week outside to support our health and wellbeing. For older people, the benefits of getting outside are numerous, including:

Fresh air aiding oxygen intake – supporting everything from breathing to energy levels.
Natural light helping to regulate sleep patterns.
Sunlight providing natural vitamin D to boost immunity.
Outdoor activities like gardening helping a person’s appetite (as well as being sociable and fun).

Mental health is known to be particularly well-supported when time is spent in nature, as documented by The Mental Health Foundation’s work. Mind also support these concepts, explaining how time in nature can help everything from stress reduction to self-esteem boosting.

Getting outdoors at Peverel Court Care Homes

For all of these reasons and more we encourage our residents, staff and families to take advantage of our beautiful outside spaces to enjoy recreation, relaxation, celebrations, socialising and more. In groups we often enjoy getting outside to share meals, sports and simple pleasures like a cup of tea with sunshine and a gentle breeze on our faces. We also organise specific events in our gardens, recently enjoying animal therapy visits and a dog show thanks to our ongoing partnership with Paws PT, crazy golf, a vintage car show, food trucks, summer garden parties and, most recently of all, an outdoors cheese and wine tasting.

Our outside areas lend themselves ideally to one-to-one time too, with open spaces to explore and seating areas to rest. We love seeing our carers or family members walking (or wheeling) and talking with our residents, helping everyone to ‘Be Active’ and ‘Take Notice’ of the world around them, two facets of the Five Ways to Wellbeing. This evidenced-based programme – devised by the New Economics Foundation and consisting of Connect, Be Active, Take Notice, Keep Learning and Give – is about practical actions we can all take to boost our wellbeing. We particularly like the Five Ways to Wellbeing because they are achievable daily for residents and staff alike.

Getting outside doesn’t stop within the boundaries of our care homes either. We actively encourage our residents to go out into their local communities as well as travelling further afield. Two of our most memorable recent trips in our PCC minibuses were to Ascot and Kew Gardens.

What our residents, staff and families like most about spending time outside

Whilst knowing the reasons why getting outside is so beneficial for our bodies and minds is useful, it’s the feedback we get from our residents, staff and families about what they like most about getting outdoors that really makes us smile.

Joyce D said

“It’s lovely to sit outside here (Stone House), and a great place to socialise. I really enjoyed the cheese and wine tasting outside with the other ladies. The gardens are beautiful and we were blessed with lovely weather.”

John F said

“I enjoy my daily walks around the gardens. We are lucky to have so much space and the views of the Chilterns are wonderful. It’s lovely to have the animals so close to us too.”

About Peverel Court Care

Peverel Court Care is a group of one residential and two nursing homes, located in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. Bartlett’s Residential Care Home and Stone House Nursing Home in Aylesbury, and Merryfield House Nursing Home in Witney. We are a long-standing family business. Providing exceptional, personalised care, delivered by talented and compassionate people, in exclusive and idyllic settings.

With happiness at the heart of our homes, we recognise and respect the contribution made by our residents to society during their lifetimes. Valued by residents and their families; our reputation, investment in each property, and approach to appointing and developing our staff makes each home unique and the benchmark in premium care.

May, 09

2023

Care Management, Community, Future of Care, Stone House

Brush Party x Aylesbury Dynamos x Stone House Nursing Home Sponsorship Collaboration

Why?

At Peverel Court Care we Care for our Communities, thus we are the proud sponsors of the Aylesbury Vale Dynamos Under 14’s Girls Football Team.

Intergenerational activities have been proven to energise older adults and give a sense of purpose, especially when they are sharing their experience and skills. Shared activities across generations can also reduce a sense of isolation for older adults and potentially relieve or lessen depression. We know that loneliness and depression are a big concern for today’s residents. By providing a way for residents to interact with younger generations, they afford the opportunity to build lasting relationships. Intergenerational activities can also help different age groups relate and value one another – reducing ageism, breaking down stereotypes and increasing empathy.

Art in care homes can provide many opportunities for residents to use their imagination, make connections and reminisce. Arts participation offers a chance for residents to express themselves, learn a new skill (or return to an old one), and form a stronger sense of personal identity that can sometimes be diminished in care.

Who?

Aylesbury Vale Dynamos Under 14’s Girls Football Team – https://twitter.com/avdfcgirls

“Where painting gets social… it doesn’t matter if you have picked up a paint brush since school! A brush party is an unforgettable few hours of fun, friends and painting you’ll be talking about for weeks!”

https://brushparty.co.uk/

Outcome

Feedback from residents and the football team about Brush Party’s painting workshop was overwhelmingly positive, with all residents asking to participate in an activity like this again. With some gentle encouragement and inspiration from the girls, residents became lively and engaged in the workshop. They were guided through the session with tips and advice from the leading artists Mel and Sam. This provided a new experience for the residents and was a happy and expressive session that set a precedent for future collaborative activities at Stone House.

At Peverel Court we see how are arts have a positive impact on the resident’s emotional wellbeing every day. The arts bring joy and the ability to communicate feelings even when we can no longer communicate with words. We can use arts-based activities to crate a state of reminiscence which is why it is such a powerful tool within a care setting and fundamental in our day-to-day activities within a care home.

Testimonials

Resident – Sheila H:
What did you think of the experience? “It was lovely to have the girls help, I enjoy sitting in on the painting sessions but my wrists often ache, so it was good to have their help.”
Would you like to experience it again? “Yes, absolutely, it was great to meet the team.”

Resident – Heather W:
What did you think of the experience? “It was good, I relaxed while a member of the team showcased her painting skills.” [laughing] Would you like to experience it again? “Yes, I would, it was lovely to meet them all and be in the lounge.”

Resident – Jean L:
What did you think of the experience? “It was nice thank you, I enjoyed the conversation with Keira, the girl who helped me.”
Would you like to experience it again? “It was good to see the girls, yes, I would be interested in doing it again!”

Mar, 20

2023

Care Management, Wellbeing, Workforce Development

A family feel to our staff social gatherings

How our staff bonding and sharing events are contributing to creating a transparent and open working culture at Peverel Court Care.

For us, being employed at a Peverel Court care home is about more than just coming into work. How our staff feel about themselves and their job is key to the care they will provide to our residents. We are a family-run business, and our staff and residents are very much an extension of our family. We care about everyone who lives and works with us, and aim to have a supportive and open culture within all of our care homes.

Two of our recent initiatives to support our cultural mission have been ‘Bring your own cuisine to work’ days at Stone House, which are planned to be monthly and began in January, and a Bartlett’s team dinner at Pendley Manor.

‘Bring your own cuisine to work’ days at Stone House

We are extremely proud of our diverse teams. We have employees from across the world within our Peverel family and celebrate the multicultural feel this gives our care homes. The ‘Bring your own cuisine to work’ team bonding activities have really brought this to life and have been a sensory sensation. As Hope, Registered Manager at Stone House, said: “This is a lovely idea to bring and share together, to do more as a team – the ‘One Team’ ethos.”

So far these social events have enabled us to travel the culinary globe and experience Pakistani kebabs with ‘ever so hot’ chutney, chicken roasted in a special (secret!) Zimbabwean sauce, Indian potato and lentil curry, Iranian kebabs, Filipino chicken coconut curry and Portuguese custard tarts, which tasted as delicious as this picture suggests.

Del, who brought in the Indian potato and lentil curry, Iranian kebabs and a Filipino chicken coconut curry, was similarly enthusiastic: “What a brilliant idea to bring us together as a team.”

De Nata (Portuguese Custard Tarts).

Bartlett’s team dinner at Pendley Manor.

The dinner for Bartlett’s staff, which took place in the elegant surroundings of local stately home Pendley Manor and was attended by 28 staff, was also warmly received. Connie said: “It was nice to spend time with our team outside of a working environment,” while Sally commented: “It was a perfect opportunity for the staff to get together and let their hair down! The food was delicious, the company was wonderful, and it was a night to remember for us all.” The three course meal was followed by dancing, which all the staff enjoyed. Maria summed up the experience perfectly: “It was such an amazing night! It was nice to see everyone really dressed up and the DJ was great!.”

The Bartlett’s team enjoying their night out together.

Staff at the heart of Peverel Court Care

Key to the success of our work events is staff participation, which has been really positive so far. We hope this will only grow as we plan more fun group activities for our teams both within our homes and in the wider community. To sum up in the words of Tally, who works at Stone House: “It’s been wonderful to try everybody’s food from around the world. I really enjoyed it as there are some amazing cooks. Most importantly, it’s brought us together too.”

We will continue to listen to our staff teams through our Focus Group meetings as we look for more social event ideas. This is part of our wider aim to communicate effectively, openly and transparently with our staff teams to enable all of our staff to feel involved in the day-to-day running of our care homes. We want our staff to feel secure in their jobs, have a good level of knowledge and understanding about what is happening around them, and when change occurs, why it’s happening and how they can be part of it.

Ines shared De Nata with us.

The benefits of working for Peverel Court Care

Our company teambuilding initiatives are just one aspect of our commitment to invest in the personal and professional development of our staff. This is at the heart of working for Peverel Court Care, and is in addition to our comprehensive employee benefits package that includes:

Excellent remuneration
24/7 access to an online GP
Access to hundreds of discounts through an employee app
Access to qualified therapists through an Employee Assistance Programme
Monthly on-site massage
Free online workout and wellness classes
Complimentary lunches, fresh fruit and snacks
Company sponsorship for professional and academic qualifications
Rewards and recognition schemes

To learn more about what it is like to work for Peverel Court Care and our current job opportunities, visit our Work with Us page.

About Peverel Court Care

Peverel Court Care is a group of one residential and two nursing homes, located in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. Bartlett’s Residential Care Home and Stone House Nursing Home in Aylesbury, and Merryfield House Nursing Home in Witney. We are a long-standing family business providing exceptional, personalised care, delivered by talented and compassionate people, in exclusive and idyllic settings.

Feb, 07

2023

Best Care Practices, Care Home Recruitment, Care Management, Leadership & Management, Uncategorized, Workforce Development

Respect at the heart of morale building

Respect at the heart of morale building. How it is an anchor to supporting carers with their levels of motivation and retention in their roles.

At Peverel Court Care, the individuals and teams across our three care homes are at the heart of our business. The service they provide to our residents daily. The warmth of hospitality our staff consistently delivers and the positive culture they create across each property.
Over the years, managers have always taken the well-being and happiness of staff into regular consideration. As an anchor to us, as a care provider, delivering the very best possible service to our residents. It is important to make staff feel valued in their jobs in roles that they enjoy and feel fulfilled.

Fundamental to this is respect being at the centre of our operations, for example, the benefits of each staff member treating one another with respect.

We apply some things in our mission to consistently deliver exceptional care.

Provide positive recognition – Recognising carers who perform their job well and do it with a spirit of excellence is essential. Recognising staff members’ achievements through open or one-to-one praise assures individuals that their efforts are seen and appreciated.
Listen and maintain open communication – Showing respect to carers includes regularly listening to their concerns and offering support. Invite feedback to ensure that you, as a manager, are doing your best to meet their needs and create an open, inclusive environment.
Encourage autonomy and creative problem-solving – Empowering carers to solve their problems will boost morale and make them feel more respected and appreciated, mainly when their ideas and insights are considered and put into practice in the business. Staff then think they directly impact the quality of the day-to-day care delivered.
Make their workplace meaningful – Workplace morale depends on a feeling of meaningfulness. Connect their job to larger, purpose-driven initiatives and set achievable goals to increase job satisfaction. An excellent example of this is carers being part of a highly respected healthcare workforce – across the UK by the public and their peers.
Encourage professional development – Providing opportunities for carers to learn new skills and take on new challenges will keep them engaged and enthusiastic about their roles. At Peverel Court Care, we embrace a team member’s interests and hobbies by asking them to advise on ideas for activities for residents. Or plan and host events themselves.
Create social opportunities – bolstering carers’ morale through camaraderie, encouraging carers to socialise and build relationships that support and sustain one another- for example, participating in a local activity together.

To learn more about what it is like to work for Peverel Court Care and our current job opportunities, visit our Work with Us page.

Visit: Work With Us

About Peverel Court Care

Oct, 22

2022

Bartletts, Best Care Practices, Business, Care & Technology, Care Awards, Care Management, Community, Leadership & Management, Merryfield, Personalisation, Real life, Social Care & Society, Social Care Strategy, Stone House, Wellbeing, Workforce Development

How choice is at the heart of happiness and delivering high-quality adult care provision

How choice is at the heart of happiness and delivering high-quality adult care provision at Peverel Court Care

At Peverel Court, one of our core values as a business is Service Quality and we aim to provide an unsurpassed service that delivers exceptional care to our residents and their families.

In order to achieve this, we aim to nurture a culture of positivity within the business. We are approaching this by focusing on achieving continuous progress in small increments, rather than through an immediate transition to perfection. We’re also committed to the principle that “choice equals happiness” and that is why we ensure that choice is at the heart of decision making across the organisation.

Happiness of our care home staff

Fundamental to delivering a culture of positivity in the business is the happiness of our staff.

Therefore, at Peverel Court Care we have implemented a number of initiatives aimed at supporting our team and giving them flexibility in their working lives. This includes rewards and recognition programmes, career development pathways and our Employee Assistance Programme. The Employee Assistance Programme is a confidential employee benefit designed to help staff deal with any personal and work-related issues that might be affecting them. Whether they are struggling at home or at work, our helpline is available 24/7, 365 days a year so they will always have the support they need.

We also provide our team with the Employee Support Hub, powered by Health Assured, which gives them access to qualified therapists over the phone or via live chat.

Peverel Court Care have also partnered with Perkbox Medical to provide employees with 24/7 access to an online GP as we appreciate how tricky it can be to schedule appointments around working hours. The online GP service allows employees to interact with a certified doctor, via app or website from anywhere with internet, or Wi-Fi access. Employees can book an appointment and be seen within minutes, ask for advice, as well as receiving prescriptions and referrals, all at a time of their choosing.

Choice, Happiness and Productivity

Research by Oxford University’s Saïd Business School, in collaboration with British multinational telecoms firm BT, has found a conclusive link between happiness and productivity.

The authors of the report stated that while the link between happiness and productivity has previously been discussed often, their study provides the first causal evidence for this relationship.

“There seems to be considerable room for improvement in the happiness of employees while they are at work. While this is clearly in the interest of workers themselves, our analysis suggests it is also in the interests of their employers.

There has never been such strong evidence. We found that when workers are happier, they work faster by making more calls per hour worked and, importantly, convert more calls to sales.”

Professor Jan-Emmanue De Neve, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.

8 Factors That Determine Workplace Happiness and Productivity

A recent article suggested 8 key factors which help to determine workplace happiness and, as a consequence, productivity. These were:

A Healthy Workplace Environment
Team Building Activities
A Good Work-Life Balance
Workplace Flexibility
Appreciation
Growth Potential
Autonomy
Transparency

Happiness in our care homes

At Peverel Court Care, we are embracing the advice of experts and attempting to provide choice and support to ensure that our workforce remains happy, committed and productive.

As a result of these and other initiatives over many years, we are delighted to retain a long-serving, experienced and dedicated staff across our award-winning care homes in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.

And it is our team who utilise their experience, expertise and positivity to continue to deliver exceptional care to our residents. Through supporting our staff and ensuring that they are happy and have choices in their work, we are also ensuring the happiness and ability to choose for our residents.

That is one of the many reasons why at the 2022 carehome.co.uk Awards, Peverel Court Care were again recognised as one of the Top 20 Rated Small Care Home Groups in the UK. We couldn’t have achieved that without our staff and would like to express our gratitude for their continued hard work and dedication.

About Peverel Court Care

Peverel Court Care is a group of one residential and two nursing homes, located in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire: Bartlett’s Residential Care Home and Stone House Nursing Home in Aylesbury, and Merryfield House Nursing Home in Witney. We are a long-standing family business, providing exceptional, personalised care, delivered by talented and compassionate people, in exclusive and idyllic settings.

Jul, 22

2022

Bartletts, Best Care Practices, Business, Care & Technology, Care Management, Community, Design, Future of Care, Leadership & Management, Merryfield, Real life, Social Care & Society, Social Care Strategy, Stone House, Workforce Development, Workforce Intelligence

In search of continuous progress in care

At Peverel Court Care, we embrace the opportunity to continuously improve our business and, as a result, the lives of our residents and staff. In this post, we wanted to explore further what a continuous improvement model is, and how our commitment is driving positive results.

Whilst there are a number of different methodologies for identifying and implementing opportunities for improvement, these all share a number of core principles. It is these upon which we have based our model for advancing the way in which we operate.

The core principles of continuous improvement

Beyond that, we have taken the following core principles upon which to base our programme of continuous improvement for our already award-winning care homes in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire:

As the first to test the GP Connect extension within Nourish, we will be shaping the way care environments interact with GP services and taking a significant step towards a joined-up care environment. We look forward to seeing how our care teams engage with GP Connect and the impact it will have on care practice.

Small steps rather than giant leaps are more likely to achieve progress. We have acknowledged that huge changes to the way we run the business are going to be much scarier and more time consuming than smaller changes. So we’re focusing our efforts on identifying opportunities that can be implemented much more quickly, in order to ensure constant progression. This allows fast improvements in the day-to-day lives of our residents and staff, rather than strategic shifts that will take much more time to realise.
The thoughts, ideas and experiences of our employees are invaluable. Our leadership team understands that no-one understands the challenges and opportunities in the business better than the people who work in it everyday. That’s why we want to know which elements of their jobs and our processes, activities and communications are sticking points for our team. This helps us to identify opportunities for us to make improvements that will benefit our staff and residents every day, and help us to make constant progress towards a better business.
Incremental changes can usually be implemented very cost-effectively. Our leadership team has noted that when receiving feedback from the team, the focus is often on smaller changes which can be implemented without a huge amount of expense, yet can make a big impact. Indeed, it has been noted that many ideas from employees involve simplifying processes rather than complicating them. This is a great way to ensure that every step we make adds value to our residents and staff, and reduces wasted time and effort. This insight from employees is therefore fundamental to our continuous improvement programme.
Encouraging employees to own and drive our continuous improvement program. Whilst appreciating the importance of the key insights we can gain from our team, and the way we can utilise these to progress the business, we’re asking for even more from our team. We want them to be proud of the business in which they work, and therefore believe that it’s important for them to not only buy into what we’re doing, but to proactively contribute to the direction of our improvement programme.
Reflecting on our improvement. Ensuring a constant feedback loop is essential for the success of our continuous improvement programme. Open communication throughout the improvement process is critical to ensuring that the changes we make are making the desired improvements. We know that not every idea, or the way we attempt to make change, will be a success. Therefore, keeping track of and communicating our successes and failures will help us to learn more and improve even our continuous improvement programme.
Measuring the success of improvement. It’s vitally important that we don’t just make changes, but that we measure their effectiveness. This might be in the form of time or cost savings, but equally it could be in terms of quality of life improvements for our staff or residents. By measuring the impact that our changes make in the pursuit of improvement, we’re better able to determine whether that change could also be applied successfully to other similar challenges in the business.

Creating a sound continuous improvement programme

A sound continuous improvement programme should be able to demonstrate a number of features which Peverel Court Care’s leadership team aim to embrace:

Baseline – the current situation the service is trying to change
Planning – improvements and the expected benefit to the care recipient
Monitoring – systems to monitor a new process or activity during its implementation
Evaluation – systems to monitor a process or activity once it has been implemented, which should help ensure its sustainability and capture the actual improvements.

The following framework has been utilised to help drive and support the process and to ensure that all changes we make are fully aligned to our business strategy and values:

Care recipient focus
Strategic planning and implementation
Involvement of key stakeholders; crucially ensuring that staff feeling involved and listened to
Innovation – particularly in terms of gathering ideas from staff
Regular monitoring and evaluation.

Progress to date from our continuous improvement programme

At Peverel Court Care, our continuous improvement programme has already been in place for a little while. So we wanted to share a couple of great examples of how it’s already working for us as we seek to improve the day-to-day lives of our residents and staff.

One recent example came from Hillary, one of our Activities Coordinators, who proposed a number of suggestions, including “Around the world through takeaway”, “Virtual family time” and “Glam day ladies club”. There were some brilliant ideas, and we have already incorporated suggestions such as the bespoke takeaway evenings, which take our residents to different places around the world via their cuisine.

We are also implementing quarterly reverse mentoring sessions with our CEO. These sessions are constructive and fun, and allow employees to tell the CEO what they would do differently and why. We’ve found this opportunity has improved insight and communication across management and employees.

About Peverel Court Care

Jun, 17

2022

Bartletts, Best Care Practices, Business, Care Home Recruitment, Care Management, Community, Future of Care, Leadership & Management, Merryfield, Real life, Stone House, Workforce Development, Workforce Intelligence

How our carers feedback helps us stay on top of running a leading care business

How our carers feedback helps us stay on top of running a leading care business at Peverel Court Care

At Peverel Court Care, we know that whilst we have an excellent reputation for the care that we provide to our residents and for the way we look after our staff, there are always opportunities to do even more. That’s why we partnered with local business WorkBuzz last year, to conduct regular staff surveys to obtain carer feedback and to identify areas for further improvement.

The surveys help gather real-time feedback from staff across our care homes, gathering vital understanding, and helping to build a more inclusive culture. All survey responses are anonymous and they are sent twice a year to the entire team, allowing us time to formulate and implement action plans, and gain vital regular insight.

Benefits of employee feedback in the care sector

Whilst most care businesses will be quick to acknowledge that feedback from residents and their families is crucial in driving improvements in service delivery, taking regular feedback from carers and other employees is equally important.

In post pandemic and post Brexit Britain, the recruitment and retention of staff is a universal challenge for care businesses. Ensuring that we’re listening to our employees, and then working to address their concerns and implement their suggestions will help to not only improve the services we deliver, but also to reduce the friction that our team experiences in their day-to-day work. In turn, this then helps us to better retain our talented team and to make their working lives, in some small way, less stressful and challenging wherever we can.

nibusinessinfo.co.uk is the official online channel for business advice and guidance in Northern Ireland. In a recent article they described how “Encouraging your staff to voice their ideas and contribute to finding better ways of doing things can have a positive impact on your business performance”.

Amongst the key business benefits of encouraging staff feedback, opinions and ideas, they identified:

Better awareness – you will be more aware of what is going on at every level of your business
Increased productivity – it helps to increase employee engagement, motivation and productivity
Business solutions – you may find solutions to business problems that otherwise may not have been established
Innovation – it encourages effective decision making and drives innovation
Valued contribution – it helps employees to feel that their contribution to the business is valued
Staff retention – it encourages employee retention and reduces staff turnover because employees feel more valued and allied to your business and its goals
Adaptability – improved communication helps with organisational change and cultural change

What changes have been implemented as a result of staff feedback?

In addition to the scores and carer feedback, we received several anonymised comments in particular that were extremely insightful and which we have been able to take action on to make rapid improvements to the way in which we operate the business day-to-day.

Overall, there was a theme in the feedback with people commenting on staffing numbers during covid. We recognise it was an incredibly challenging time and we recognise in particular that the most important resource in any care service is the team. That’s why we know that not only our growth, but our ongoing performance, will ultimately be determined by the effectiveness of our recruitment strategies and implementation.

In addition to the scores and feedback, we received several anonymised comments in particular that were extremely insightful and which we have been able to take action on to make rapid improvements to the way in which we operate the business day-to-day.

Laura will assist us all with the implementation of the recruitment and retention strategy, assist the in-house recruitment and retention schemes, work with the local community, digital media partners, and industry contacts to ensure Peverel Court Care is a leading care employer in the local market; attracting and retaining high quality candidates with caring values.

Laura will also assist in developing defined career pathways, and will work with staff across our award-winning care homes in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire to refine our rewards and recognition package.

We will also be implementing new software that promotes our employee referral programme, providing our staff with direct access to refer candidates and secure vouchers, making this quicker and easier for them to do.

Other projects we are working on that will assist employees include introducing an electronic rota system. Again, we’ve listened to their feedback and noted the challenges they’ve raised and believe this will streamline processes around payroll and annual leave. An electronic system will provide staff with more transparency prior to receiving their pay, simplifying shift work, and minimising errors. We are currently reviewing suppliers and hope to implement this new solution in the coming months.

There are also other projects we hope to implement in the next 6-12 months based on feedback received, including updating our nurse call systems, and electronic medication administration.

About Peverel Court Care

Mar, 10

2022

Best Care Practices, Business, Care & Technology, Care Management, Community, Future of Care, Leadership & Management, Merryfield, Personalisation, Real life, Social Care & Society, Tech

Merryfield piloting GP Connect for Nourish

Merryfield piloting GP Connect for Nourish at Peverel Court Care

For Peverel Court Care, any opportunity to help advance the alignment between health and social care is one not to be missed. So when our digital care management software provider Nourish approached us asking if we would beta test their new GP Connect integration, we were delighted to help.

Merryfield, our nursing care home in Witney, Oxfordshire, was selected as the ideal place to beta test the new solution. By undertaking the pilot programme, Merryfield became the first care home in the country to access GP Connect via the Nourish platform.

Following a successful trial at Bartlett’s, we had rolled out Nourish to our homes as our chosen digital care plan solution in late 2020. More information about Nourish and the benefits we’ve seen can be found in our article on the digital care plan roll out.

GP Connect on Nourish

GP Connect is a service that allows GP practices and authorised clinical staff to share and view GP practice clinical information and data between IT systems, quickly and efficiently. The service makes patient medical information available to clinicians when and where they need it leading to improvements in the care they’re able to provide.

“The introduction of GP Connect is a huge step towards delivering interoperability and establishing a connected care environment within health and social care. Nourish customers will be able to review relevant and timely medical notes for people they support, leading to better continuity of care, and resulting in safer, improved outcomes. I look forward to seeing the positive impact this delivers for care teams and those they support.”

Nuno Almeida, Founder and CEO of Nourish Care

With the support of our digital partner Nourish, we now have access to the GP records and medical notes for our residents, facilitating more informed decision making. We will have access to clinical history, medications, allergies, history of immunisations and more. This valuable information will enhance the work we do and surface the right information at the right time.

GP Connect feedback from our team

As a business, we are always looking for ways to put our residents first, to provide them with the best possible service, and to make a positive contribution to the community. We believe that beta testing the GP Connect extension in Nourish aligns with all of those values.

“By using GP Connect we now have a better understanding of our resident’s needs. Accessing the GP record helps us to understand the ‘what’ and the ‘why’ around an individual’s needs. If there are concerns regarding medication, we can review the record and make more informed decisions. GP Connect is particularly helpful when admitting a new resident, by having this information at hand we can provide the best possible care from the start. Before GP Connect we would wait for an email or phone call from the GP. Now we can access the relevant information instantly, which is great!”

Kefas Jeshua, Peverel Court

“By switching on the GP Connect extension in Nourish we have key clinical information at our fingertips, helping us to minimise adverse events, providing better support. This information really helps!”

Francisca Torres, Peverel Court

GP Connect – Nourish beta test

It’s not just our team that are seeing the benefits of the pilot GP Connect programme:

“Peverel Court was the first to participate in Beta testing for the GP Connect extension. Preet, Kefas and the team were very engaged with the trial and were extremely committed and helpful. A driver for enabling GP Connect was to support new residents coming to the home, to access all their key information beforehand so the team could make the resident feel as comfortable as possible. It was great to see Peverel Court testing the latest system and striving for continuous improvement within their service.”

Elise Featley – Product Marketing Manager at Nourish Care

About Peverel Court Care

Jul, 23

2021

Best Care Practices, Business, Care & Technology, Care Management, Community, CQC Inspection, Future of Care, Leadership & Management, Personalisation, Social Care Strategy, Tech, Training & Development, Workforce Development

CQC Strategy and our plans

CQC Strategy and our plans at Peverel Court Care

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) have launched a new strategy which is aimed at changing the way in which care is regulated, so as to improve service delivery for users. We decided to explore how the new CQC strategy will impact the sector, and were pleased to find that at Peverel Court Care we already have projects in progress that align with all four pillars of the new strategy.

Whilst announcing the new strategy, the CQC have declared their ambitions for the positive impact it will have on the provision of care services across the country:

What we’ve learned from the past five years puts us in a better position for the future. Our new strategy combines this learning and experience and we’ve developed it with valuable contributions from the public, service providers and all our partners. It means our regulation will be more relevant to the way care is now delivered, more flexible to manage risk and uncertainty, and will enable us to respond in a quicker and more proportionate way as the health and care environment continues to evolve.

This new strategy strengthens our commitment to deliver our purpose: to ensure health and care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care and to encourage those services to improve. Our strategy is purposefully ambitious, and to implement it we will need to work closely with others to make it a reality. We’ll review this strategy regularly so we can adapt to changes and be prepared for what the future holds.

Our purpose and our role as a regulator won’t change – but how we work will be different.

People and communities

CQC Strategy:

Regulation that’s driven by people’s needs and experiences, focusing on what’s important to people and communities when they access, use and move between services

Peverel Court Care:

Two of the five core values on which we focus the Peverel Court Care business directly relate to People and Communities, putting it at the very heart of what we do.

Resident Focus: Commitment to putting our residents first. We develop relationships that make a positive difference in our residents’ lives.
Care For Our Communities: We serve and support a local experience. The unique character of each home is a direct reflection of a community’s people and culture.

During COVID-19, this included our Thinking of You initiative and our innovative use of technology to support both our residents and the community.

Smarter regulation

CQC Strategy:

Smarter, more dynamic and flexible regulation that provides up-to-date and high-quality information and ratings, easier ways of working with us and a more proportionate response

Peverel Court Care:

We are acutely aware that the world is constantly evolving, and at Peverel Court Care we’re always looking to be at the forefront of innovation in social care. We have been quick to embrace technology that is able to enhance the service we deliver.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we were able to quickly implement the use of a number of cutting edge technologies to help mitigate the risks faced by our residents and employees.

Our migration to digital care plans is another example of Peverel Court Care leading the sector to implement solutions which will, in the future, better enable the CQC to remotely monitor and care providers, allowing them to make more timely interventions when necessary.

It is businesses like ours that blaze a trail which will eventually become ‘the norm’ and facilitate better care across the sector.

Safety through learning

CQC Strategy:

Regulating for stronger safety cultures across health and care, prioritising learning and improvement and collaborating to value everyone’s perspectives

Peverel Court Care:

At Peverel Court Care, we firmly believe that ongoing learning and development is integral to maintaining the highest standards of service provision. That’s why we provide our employees with ongoing learning and development opportunities, whatever their role.

We have also introduced a number of career pathways, including for healthcare assistants, supported by learning and development, in order to upskill and train our team for rewarding careers in social care.

Accelerating improvement

CQC Strategy:

Enabling health and care services and local systems to access support to help improve the quality of care where it’s needed most

Peverel Court Care:

At Peverel Court Care, we are always keen to embrace new ways of working which will assist our talented team to deliver the best levels of care to our residents. That is one of the reasons why we are helping to shape the future of digital skills in social care by partnering with Skills for Care, Digital Social Care and other stakeholders in developing a resource which can help accelerate innovation in social care across the country.

We have also transitioned to the use of digital care plans which supports the coordination of care teams to ensure that care is still centred around the person. GPs, district nurses and hospitals can all engage remotely with residents based on observations made available to them remotely – enabling coordination to happen between social care and health.

The Importance of Positive Relationships in a Residential Care Setting: Why Peverel Court Care is a leading provider of elderly care in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire

Why Positive Relationships Matter at Peverel Court Care

Trust, Quality, and Personalised Care

Communication: The Key to Building Positive Relationships

Engaging Residents for a Better Quality of Life

Mental and Emotional Well-Being

Conclusion

For more information, contact us today to speak with one of our care experts.

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Brush Party x Aylesbury Dynamos x Stone House Nursing Home Sponsorship Collaboration

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Respect at the heart of morale building. How it is an anchor to supporting carers with their levels of motivation and retention in their roles.

We apply some things in our mission to consistently deliver exceptional care.

To learn more about what it is like to work for Peverel Court Care and our current job opportunities, visit our Work with Us page.

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