The Pines

On this page

• Overview
• Assessing needs
• Delivering evidence-based care and treatment
• How staff, teams and services work together
• Supporting people to live healthier lives
• Monitoring and improving outcomes
• Consent to care and treatment

Effective – this means we looked for evidence that people’s care, treatment and support achieved good outcomes and promoted a good quality of life, based on best available evidence.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people’s outcomes were consistently good, and people’s feedback confirmed this.

This service scored 75 (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 made sure people’s care and treatment was effective by assessing and reviewing their health, care, wellbeing and communication needs with them.

People and their relatives told us their care needs and personal preferences were discussed with them. People’s support needs were assessed before they moved into The Pines. Staff had access to information about people and their personal histories, through the providers electronic care planning system.

People’s communication needs were assessed and detailed in people’s care plans to maximise the effectiveness of their care and treatment.

Staff told us people were offered choice and spoke of the importance of communicating with people using their preferred communication style, “People receiving care at The Pines have a voice and are listened to. Even the individuals who are non-verbal, staff make a strong effort to understand their communication methods, such as; body language, facial expressions, and behaviours. This helps us know if they are uncomfortable or unwell and need support.”

Evidence-based care was significant in the service’s policies and procedures.

The service planned and delivered people’s care and treatment with them, including what was important and mattered to them. They did this in line with legislation and current evidence-based good practice and standards.

The registered manager told us they worked with people following good practice guidance, this included working to support people’s emotional health and physical wellbeing.

During our inspection, we found records were accurate and reflected the care people were receiving.
For example, we saw safe swallow protocols on display directing staff how to reduce an individual’s risk of choking. This included up to date guidance from health and social care professionals. Care plans had been updated to reflect any changes to the person’s care and treatment.

The service worked well across teams and services to support people. They made sure people only needed to tell their story once by sharing their assessment of needs when people moved between different services.

People and their relatives told us the information about their care was shared appropriately. Staff kept detailed records of support provided on the provider’s electronic care planning system. These records were shared with external professionals as needed.
The service provided support for people who had high support needs, close monitoring and reporting to health and social care professionals was vital to their wellbeing and safety.

The registered manager was confident about the service’s policies, and checked staff understanding of these during their induction to ensure new starters were supported to familiarise themselves with the expectations of The Pines.
 

The service supported people to manage their health and wellbeing to maximise their independence, choice and control. The service supported people to live healthier lives and where possible, reduce their future needs for care and support.

Staff told us people’s health was monitored and changes made to ensure they remained as healthy as possible. People were given choices of food and drinks, and there were clear processes in place to ensure people were involved in the mealtime experience. This included being supported to do their shopping at the supermarket and encouraged to participate in cooking meals. Care plans identified the level of support people needed from staff to prevent malnutrition and dehydration.

The registered manager had oversight of records and could access details of care as required to share them with external professionals, such as the GP, to make referrals for specialist support.
 

The service routinely monitored people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured that outcomes were positive and consistent, and that they met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves.

Where necessary, referrals to professionals had been made to ensure people maintained a healthy lifestyle, identified goals and had positive outcomes. Instructions for staff on how to achieve this were shared with staff at team meetings, handover and written communication. Each care plan was individual and centred around the person, with input from relatives as appropriate.

The registered manager told us the service was structured so where possible, people have core staff who worked with them consistently and acted as a key person in their care. Staff told us the benefits of this included building stronger relationships with the person and the people important to them.
 

The service told people about their rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and treatment.

People told us they were treated with respect and supported by staff to make important decisions about their care. Consent was sought from people and where necessary in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). A clear process was in place to carry out MCA assessments where required. Care was planned in the person’s best interest in the least restrictive way and in consultation with those involved in their care. MCA assessments and care plans had detailed all the options explored, including how the person was supported to decide and how the least restrictive care was planned as the outcome.

Staff had received training and told us the importance of asking consent and offering choice before providing care for people.

Staff explained what restrictive practices were and confirmed they would consult the care plan to ensure they were following risk assessments and promoting independence at all times.