Pinetree Lodge

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 we rated this key question good. At this inspection 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 79 (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 very clear shared vision, strategy and culture. This was based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, engagement, and understanding of the challenges and the needs of people and their communities. This was evident in the way staff consistently worked in line with the provider’s values of transparency, equity, and inclusion. Staff consistently described strong teamwork, a sense of belonging and a culture where colleagues supported one another, including during periods of personal difficulty. Most staff felt the values of the service were evident in day‑to‑day practice. Interactions observed between staff and people were compassionate and respectful, and relatives reported many positive examples of kind and attentive care.

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 always did so with integrity, openness and honesty. The provider had recently won an inclusive culture award. Senior leaders visited the service regularly and were involved in listening exercises, ensuring they remained connected to people’s experiences. Leadership at Pinetree Lodge was visible, approachable, and highly regarded by staff. Staff consistently praised the registered manager’s open‑door approach and willingness to listen, with multiple staff citing examples of emotional and practical support during difficult times. This created trust and confidence in the leadership team.

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. The Trustees were active members of the team and took steps to ensure they clearly understood the services and the impact these had on people’s lives. The senior management team and management team wanted to operate a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voices will be heard. Also, an environment where staff felt able to raise any issues and be confident these would be addressed. They actively promoted Freedom to Speak Up guardians and champions and really valued all the feedback they received. The people’s team consistently promoted access to guardians and encouraged staff to raise any matters. Their work had led to more staff feeling able to raise issues with them and managers. Several staff described raising concerns about support or practice which had subsequently improved, demonstrating that the speaking‑up process worked in practice.

The provider and management team valued diversity in their workforce and ensured they followed best practices guidance. They worked towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who work for them. The provider had completed the diversity in health and care partners programme, which had aided a better understanding of how to promote inclusion. The senior leadership team actively shared this learning with the service. Staff described a positive and supportive environment where colleagues were treated fairly and with respect. The senior management team acted quickly to ensure pay equity across roles, helping maintain fairness and enabling international staff to remain in employment. Staff felt the organisation recognised the pressures they experienced and supported them with wellbeing programmes, salary‑related benefits and flexible options where possible. Several staff shared examples of receiving significant emotional support from colleagues and managers.

The provider and management team had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and deliver good quality, sustainable care, treatment and support. The Quality and Safety team had designed systems that readily assisted them and the staff 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. They constantly reviewed these systems and were continuously looking to see where enhancements could be made. Routine service reviews were completed, and these had been nuanced to suit each location.

Both senior managers and trustees took part in these reviews and completed listening exercises with people who used the service. These reviews produced meaningful improvements which were based on the views of people who used the service, their relatives and friends as well as staff. The provider ran regular meetings with people from the service and service user representatives attended the forums they ran plus the chief executive was available to call. The board and chief executive regularly visited the service and spent time with people gathering their views and ideas about the service and improvements that could be made.

The Quality and Safety team also produced deep dive tools and closely considered incidents and events to determine where lessons could be learnt. For example, the provider had completed a full analysis of the way staff managed medicine administration. Staff were clear about their roles and responsibilities, and there was evidence of systematic learning from incidents. Staff within the home also worked with universities and researchers to identify whether recent developments in practice within services for people with mental health needs were being effectively implemented at the service.

The service clearly understood and carried out their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, and services worked seamlessly for people. The provider’s senior leadership team had established links across the wider organisation and other registered services to share learning and improve practice. People and relatives also had opportunities to engage in meetings where information was shared and feedback gathered. Staff described positive relationships with healthcare professionals, and relatives reported staff were proactive in seeking medical advice when required.

The provider and management team focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They demonstrated a commitment to continuous learning and improvement. Staff described a strong learning culture. They encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for people. One staff member said, “I feel my suggestions are listened to and a few have helped.” Another told us, “At Pinetree lodge, under the leadership of [registered manager we are encouraged to speak up and she ensures that everyone’s voice is heard”