The UK’s largest independent provider of specialised, secure and step-down care has chosen Sketchley Grange Hotel & Spa in Hinckley, Leicestershire, as its preferred venue to host crucial staff training for newly-qualified nurses.
With 30 years’ experience, expert teams and with hospitals and services across the UK, Partnerships in Care (PiC) helps patients
, residents and commissioners across the country find the right care pathway and treatment for the best possible chance of a stable and safe life in the community.
PiC has care pathways and cares for people with many different conditions, including those with mental disorders, learning disabilities, acquired brain injuries and progressive neurological conditions, trauma and addiction, as well as providing child and adolescent mental health services.
Twice a year, the organisation recruits an intake of 50 newly-registered nurses who are required to participate in a training programme – otherwise known as the ‘preceptorship academy’ – which involves a three-day induction and a series of focus days over a 12-month period. With PiC working across England, Scotland and Wales, the venue for training purposes needs to be central and accessible to all new recruits.
Sketchley Grange, which enjoys an enviable setting on the borders of Leicestershire and Warwickshire, has been selected by PiC to facilitate the preceptorship academy for the next three years, thanks to its well-connected location and first-rate facilities.
Keith Barry, Group Head of Nursing for Partnerships in Care, says: “We were looking for somewhere central that all of our newly-qualified staff could get to easily and we needed a venue that could cater for all of our needs – and Sketchley Grange ticks both boxes.
“The standard of the facilities, including the bedrooms, are second to none. Everything is spacious, modern and above what you would expect for a hotel that caters for conferences – they also allow our staff to use the spa and leisure facilities which is a real perk!”
With nine fully air-conditioned meeting/function rooms and banqueting suites, Sketchley Grange is well equipped to cater for a wide variety of clients. The hotel even boasts a custom-built contemporary business hub on the ground floor which has been fitted with the latest technology, break-out areas and a complimentary refreshment bar – meaning guests have everything they need all in one place.
What’s more, the hotel has a dedicated conference manager who is always on hand to help make sure things run smoothly.
“The size of the meeting rooms is great and the break-out areas are really useful and perfectly suited to the setup of our training events,” continues Keith.
“The staff are always willing to help and are flexible when it comes to things like our catering requirements – especially on occasions when we might have to change our mealtimes at relatively short notice.”
This charming four-star country house hotel has a stylish bar and lounge area plus a garden restaurant – all offering delicious fresh food using only the finest local ingredients.
Keith adds: “Sketchley Grange really is an excellent place to stay and hold conferences. The team have been fantastic in helping us to provide a positive experience for our new nurses by being both approachable and professional with all our needs.
“We have always dealt with the same people at Sketchley Grange which shows they clearly have good retention of staff and it provides good continuity for us.”
Surrounded by trees, Sketchley Grange benefits from a leafy, rural backdrop, yet is just minutes away from Hinckley’s flourishing town centre with its expanding choice of shopping and leisure opportunities. The M69 is also within easy reach for convenient links to Leicester, Coventry and other parts of the Midlands.
As part of a major £1.5 million programme of refurbishment across its premises, a stylish new open-plan bar and lounge area is now open for all to enjoy, boasting an elegant and inviting ambience with high-back arm chairs and sofas, high poseur tables and seating booths with televisions.
Designed with a cosmopolitan vibe, the Garden Restaurant, which overlooks the beautiful hotel gardens, features a seasonal menu including an irresistible variety of mouth-watering dishes to suit all diners.
For a truly relaxing retreat, the Romans Health Club at Sketchley Grange is the perfect place to rest and rejuvenate with its 17ft swimming pool, heated whirlpool, pool-side loungers, Cedar Wood sauna and aromatic steam room. The hotel also offers an array of luxury spa
Sketchley Grange is operated by Focus Hotels, one of the UK’s most successful hotel management companies.