The Pines

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 our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has changed to outstanding. This meant service leadership was exceptional and distinctive. Leaders and the culture they created drove and improved high-quality, person-centred care.

This service scored 93 (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 an exceptional understanding of the challenges and the needs of people and their communities.

The registered manager and wider organisation consistently promoted a positive and inclusive culture which always put people at the centre of their care. Staff and relatives told us they were heavily involved in developing the service. A relative commented, “Crucial we work as a team and that is what we have been doing.” Staff were consistent in their responses when asked about the values of the service. They spoke about getting people out and ensuring they had ‘a good day.’ It was apparent staff were fully aware of the organisation’s ethos and were committed to providing support in line with organisational values. One staff member said, “We want to get them into the community and enjoying being outside. That's why they are being supported, to give them a life.”

Green Light operated in line with principles underpinning STOMP (Stopping over medication of people with learning disabilities). A senior leader told us, “Green Light will try all alternatives to avoid medicines where possible. We try and rule out any underlying conditions. We will look at environment and create capable environments.”

Green Light had a policy of recruiting new managers internally if possible. Experienced managers would be involved in setting up any new services to help ensure they were established in line with the organisational values and ethos.
 

The provider had exceptionally 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.

Staff told us the registered manager and deputy manager were exceptionally strong leaders who consistently modelled organisational behaviours and values. Both were visible in the service and had a sound understanding of the day-to-day challenges and routines. The organisation had an expectation managers would complete 10 hours of support work per week to enable them to maintain contact with people and the staff team. These hours were spread over morning, evening and weekend work to support a thorough understanding of the service at all times. A senior leader told us, “You cannot manage the team from an office, you have to be on the floor, have to know the people, have to lead by example.”

The strong leadership had a positive impact on people’s experiences. Staff morale was high and people benefitted from consistent and confident support from staff who felt valued and were able to ask questions and voice any concerns. Staff comments included, “Green Light do look after you, you are able to ask questions” and “There is no pressure, no judgement, you can always ask for help.”
 

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard.

Staff told us they were confident raising any concerns without any fear of negative consequences. They spoke of the registered manager’s open-door policy and the hands-on involvement of the deputy manager. Staff told us they were listened to and any issues were acted on quickly. Relatives also said they were listened to and that this meant care was provided in a way which suited their family member and took their needs and preferences into account.
 

The provider strongly valued diversity in their workforce. They had an inclusive and fair culture which had improved equality and equity for people who worked for them.

An Equality Opportunities and Diversity policy stated, “Like a garden, culture must be actively cultivated. It reflects what we plant, what we prune, and how we nurture each other’s growth. At Green Light, our EDI approach is not just a legal requirement, but a cultural commitment to our values: empathy, integrity, and empowerment.” We found this ideology was embedded in the service.

Staff described being supported to develop professionally and support each other. One member of staff described how they had been supported when they first started working at The Pines. They told us, “I had 3 weeks training including PBS training. I shadowed other staff, always as the second, I watched how things got done and built a relationship with [Name]. It worked well for me. The managers were rock solid and taught me loads. Now I can show new staff how we work.”

Staff’s individual needs were taken into account. For example, Medicine Administration Records had recently been redesigned. A member of staff had identified the new format was difficult for staff with dyslexia to read. The organisation was working with the member of staff to redesign the documents.

Staff told us they were always treated fairly at work and the organisation was flexible when they had responsibilities outside of work.
 

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and deliver high-quality, sustainable care, treatment and support. They always acted on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and shared this securely with others when appropriate.

There were excellent systems for monitoring the service and people’s experiences. Audits were completed consistently and, when areas for improvement were identified, action was always taken to make the necessary changes to improve the service.

There were clear systems for gathering information about risk and outcomes which enabled leaders to design bespoke care and effectively monitor what worked well for people. This meant oversight of the service was effective and comprehensive resulting in people having better experiences.

There were clear roles and responsibilities throughout the organisation. A Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) team included behaviour analysts who were able to accept referrals from services. A behaviour analyst was working closely alongside staff at The Pines to produce PBS plans and develop strategies for supporting people effectively. In addition, Green Light had a physical intervention team who worked with services providing bespoke training and monitored any restrictive practices. This investment in expertise meant people received care that was focused on their individual needs putting them at the centre of their care.

New staff were matched with services that aligned with their own strengths and interests. A member of staff told us, “All the staff like getting out and doing things, we don't like sitting in at The Pines.”

The provider understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services worked seamlessly for people. They shared information and learning with partners and collaborated for improvement.

The service worked with other agencies in order to provide joined up care across services. Information was shared appropriately and in people’s best interest. An external professional commented, “There was a concern that a service user was unwell and there was multi-disciplinary working with The Pines, family, GP surgery and the learning disability team regarding the health concerns.”

The provider had a strong focus on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They always encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for people. They actively contributed to safe, effective practice and research.

Key workers had monthly reviews with people which were used consistently as an opportunity to reflect on the previous month, what had worked well for people and how this could be built on.
The organisation was committed to investing in their workforce. For example, skilled practitioners developed bespoke training for supporting individuals when they were distressed or anxious. This was reflected in the staff approach to support. Staff spoke positively about people’s opportunities and strengths.

Staff had multiple opportunities to reflect on their practice in debrief meetings, supervisions and regular staff meetings. One member of staff commented, “Every day’s a school day.”