The Pines Home Care

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 provider made sure people’s care and treatment was effective by assessing and reviewing their health, care, wellbeing and communication needs with them.

Staff comprehensively assessed people’s strengths and needs when they began to receive a service from The Pines Home Care, gathering information from people, their families, their professionals and services that currently supported them. These assessments formed the basis of support plans. They were regularly reviewed and updated to ensure people received care and support that met their individual needs and preferences.

Assessments and support plans included people’s communication needs. These contained detail of people’s communication methods and unique communication styles if people communicated in ways other than speaking. Staff had a good understanding of people’s communication needs and supported these accordingly.

The provider 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 kept abreast of current developments and ensured people had the appropriate support. Staff referred to people’s health professionals where necessary and implemented their guidance.

Staff supported people to plan and manage their dietary needs and associated risks, such as swallowing difficulties and food sensitivities. Where staff had concerns about people’s nutrition or swallowing ability, they sought referral to the appropriate healthcare professional, such as a speech and language therapist to assess swallowing and devise a safe swallow plan. Dietary needs and risks were set out in people’s support plans, with the computerised care recording system prompting staff to provide the necessary support at the right time. We observed staff following a person’s safe swallow plan, preparing a drink thickened to the correct consistency.

The provider 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.

The registered manager and staff were accustomed to working collaboratively with staff from other organisations involved in people’s support. A key worker told us how they had been involved in a person’s health appointments to assess whether the person was developing a health condition. People’s support plans listed professionals and family members involved in people’s support, with their contact details.

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

People were as involved as possible in managing their health and wellbeing needs. People told us about their ongoing planned weight loss through healthy eating and physical activity, including going to the gym and for walks. Others told us how they enjoyed going to the gym and playing football to keep fit. A member of staff told us how someone had made informed decisions about which medicines were prescribed as they were concerned not to put on weight.

People’s involvement in managing their health included managing their long-term health conditions. Their support plans contained information about their health conditions, including day-to-day monitoring, signs of concern and involvement from healthcare professionals. People had annual health reviews with their doctors.

The provider routinely monitored people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured that outcomes were positive and consistent, and that they people’s expectations.

People’s key workers worked with them to plan, monitor and evaluate their care and support. People saw their key workers as important in supporting them to have a full life and valued their input in planning activities, including ideas for new things. Several people told us about their holiday plans, and one person described how they had decided to change from one social activity to another because they thought it might suit them better.

Support plans set out the outcomes people expected from their care. Managers reviewed electronic care records at least weekly to check staff were following support plans and that this was achieving people’s desired outcomes.

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

Staff understood the importance of consent and the relevant legal requirements. They only provided care and support with consent. People had the appropriate information, support and time they need to make an informed decision. If there were grounds to suspect the person might not have the capacity to consent to a particular aspect of care, staff followed the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. They involved people as far as possible in mental capacity assessments and in the process of making a best interests decision if the person was found to lack capacity.