The Pines

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

Responsive – this means we looked for evidence that the provider met people’s needs.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

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 provider made sure people were at the centre of their care and treatment choices and they decided, in partnership with people, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs.

Care plans were detailed and included information about people’s interests and preferences as well as their health needs. They were updated regularly and to help ensure they remained relevant. Staff told us they were useful sources of information. There was no evidence people and/or their relatives had been involved in developing care plans. However, a relative told us they were aware of the care plans and would be able to request changes if they felt any information was inaccurate.

Relatives told us staff worked with them to help ensure care was person-centred. One commented, “They will ask us, 'Has [Name] done this before? What might this mean?' They are respectful of us and value our involvement.”

Staff demonstrated a person-centred approach to support when talking with us. Comments included; “I’m involved in care planning, they are reviewed every month. They are never static, people evolve and change”, “We can adapt the day to suit how people are feeling. I always try and have a good day. Doctor the day to suit the person.” and “They have very separate activities because they are very different people.”
 

The provider understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity.

People were supported to attend appointments with external agencies. When people had to undergo any medical procedure, the service worked with hospital staff to help ensure good outcomes for people and reduce any anxieties. Information was shared appropriately so care could be delivered in a consistent way.

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs.

Communication tools were used to support people’s understanding. For example, now and next boards and a communication app. Care plans contained information about people’s communication preferences. As well as the use of communication aids, they included information about the best way to talk with people to enable them to process and understand what was being said. A relative commented, “They show understanding and care to find out what [Name] is telling them.”

The provider made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. Staff involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result.

People had assigned key workers who knew them well. They reviewed people’s care regularly to check what was working well and where changes needed to be made to improve people’s experiences.

There was an organisational complaints policy. This outlined the timeframes within which complaints would be dealt with. There was information on what to do if a complainant was not satisfied with the response. There were no ongoing complaints at the time of the assessment.
 

The provider made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it.

Staff were skilled at recognising changes in people’s health and responded promptly, escalating concerns to relevant professionals. If required, arrangements were made for health professionals to visit people at The Pines to lessen any anxieties and help ensure they received the treatment they needed. Desensitisation techniques were used to support people to become more comfortable when attending health appointments. A healthcare professional told us, “The staff go to great efforts to facilitate (health appointments) and ease resident anxiety.”
 

Staff and leaders actively listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes and tailored their care, support and treatment in response to this.

Staff completed training in equality and diversity to understand and reduce inequalities that affected outcomes for people they supported. Equity of opportunities was embedded in the culture of the service; support was personalised to reduce the risk of unequal outcomes.
 

People were supported to plan for important life changes, so they could have enough time to make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life.

Relatives had been asked to think about arrangements for end of life care. When information about this period of people’s life was gathered, end of life care plans were developed.