The Pines

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

Caring – this means we looked for evidence that the provider involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

This service scored 80 (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 always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

We observed staff treated people with warmth and compassion. Staff knew people well and were able to quickly pick up on any changes in their presentation which might indicate they were unwell or anxious. They adapted their approach to people accordingly. Staff were flexible in their arrangements and were guided by people’s wishes or preferences rather than adhering to pre-set routines.

One member of staff told us one person seemed to be able to express any frustrations to them. They commented, “I like to think it’s because they trust me. I’m honoured.”
We saw an email from a relative which read; “Thank you all again for your care and support for [Name]. It’s clear they are in a warm and supportive environment, and we are so grateful for everything you do for [pronoun].” Another relative commented, “A lot of love and care is given.”
 

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

Each person had their own separate accommodation and assigned key workers. This meant people were able to have their care planned around their specific needs and routines by staff who knew and understood them well. Staff told us they knew people well, they were able to describe the different ways people liked to be supported. One member of staff told us about a recent time when one person had become distressed in the hairdressers and had needed to leave. They told us they were planning an appointment at a different hairdressers because this was important to the person. They explained; “[Name] likes to look nice, having their hair combed, using their smellies, [pronoun] likes to feel good, it is important [Name] has these experiences.”

People’s different interests were respected. One member of staff explained, “They have very separate activities because they are very different people. All have their own car so can do their own thing.”

Care plans contained information about people’s backgrounds and histories so staff could gain an understanding of who they were. People were supported to take part in hobbies and interests of their choosing such as going for walks, swimming and going out for meals. Staff were keen to ensure people lived a fulfilled life. One commented; “We want to get them in the community and enjoying being outside. That's why they are being supported, to give them a life, not just to do the care.” Relatives told us staff were welcoming and supportive when arranging family meetings and trips.

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

People were encouraged to develop independent skills. Staff described how they encouraged people to get involved in preparing meals, baking and tasks around the service. For example, one member of staff explained how they tried to develop one person’s skills, “in small steps. Try and take a step forward each time. If doesn't work we don’t give up, we try something different.” They explained how staff shared information about what had worked well and what had not, to help maintain a consistent approach. A relative commented; “Staff are realistic but ever trying. They could easily do nothing, but they encourage [pronoun] to get involved in things. [Name] needs a lot of prompting but they do try and get [pronoun] doing self-care and basic cooking.”

Staff meeting minutes showed staff were working to support people to widen their experiences and try new things. Staff were encouraged to think of new activity ideas and feedback about what did or did not work well.

The provider listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

Staff and relatives spoke of the importance of knowing people well and being able to recognise when they were unwell or anxious. A relative commented; “It's very subtle, [Name] can't tell them, but [staff] know what to look for. There are some newer members of staff, and it will take them time, but they never work alone with [Name], always with a more experienced member of staff. They have to be able to read [pronoun] well.”

Staff commented; “We try and pre-empt situations which might end up with people feeling uncomfortable. The training is underpinned by discussions in the staff team about what works well. Sharing the information, all the team is invested in what we do.”

Staff told us they were flexible in their approach to support, assessing people’s moods and general health on a daily basis. The impact of this was that people were able to be the leaders in their own lives. Although activity planners were used these were tools to provide choices rather than imposing routines.
 

The provider always cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff, and was exceptional at supporting and enabling staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Staff were overwhelmingly positive about working at The Pines. They told us they were very well supported through formal supervision and appraisal and could request additional support at any time. The registered and deputy manager were described as ‘open’, ‘solid’ and ‘always available.’ A message from the HR department to the registered manager stated, ‘[Name of new member of staff] felt welcomed by the team and highlighted the calm and supportive approach from [Registered manager] during a shadow shift, which helped him feel reassured and supported. [Name] spoke positively about the teamwork at The Pines, noting that when [they] were momentarily unsure while taking the lead, colleagues immediately stepped in to support [them].’

Personal development was actively encouraged. If staff identified any personal training needs or wanted to learn more about any particular area, they were able to request this. The deputy manager was working towards a Level 5 qualification and was signed up for a leadership course.

Staff had access to training which had been developed specifically for individuals to help ensure care was centred on the individual’s needs. The provider employed specialist advisors who worked alongside staff to understand people’s needs and behaviours so they could develop strategies which were person-centred and focused on meeting people’s needs.