Pinetree Care Home

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.

This is the first assessment for this service. This key question has been rated outstanding.

This meant people were truly respected and valued as individuals; and empowered as partners in their care in an exceptional service.

This service scored 90 (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 was exceptional at treating people with kindness, empathy and compassion and in how they respected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff always treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

We observed people being supported by staff who showed genuine warmth and kindness to people. There was a good rapport between staff and people. We also saw positive interaction between staff and visitors. One relative told us, “The staff are kind, caring, supportive of family and genuinely listen to suggestions meaning all of our family, young and old has been able to visit and feel very much at home.” People told us they were treated with dignity and their wishes were respected. One person told us, “There is lots of good will from the staff at ground level.” Another person told us, “Staff are wonderful.” Relatives and external healthcare professionals also fedback that the care and support from staff was exceptional. Comments included, “The care offered to my [relative] has made an enormous difference to their life. They are happier and looks well and cared for. The staff do very well in their relationships with residents and foster a real home from home environment. The care is of an extremely high standard which I have never seen before.” Another relative told us, “The care provided is ‘gold standard’ and I heartily applaud the staff for their commitment to caring in a demanding environment.” The home was welcoming and had a homely feel to it.

Staff spoke positively about the people they support at Pinetree and their wider families. One staff member told us, “I think the home does well in creating a caring environment for residents. We [staff] often build strong relationships with residents and their families, and many team members go above and beyond to make residents feel comfortable and supported.”

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

Care was personalised in line with people’s preferences and people’s care plans detailed their likes and dislikes. Individual dietary needs and preferences were identified and people who required food that was tailored to specific conditions, for example those with diabetes, was provided and records reflected this. People’s rooms were personalised and contained items that were important to them such as photographs.

Care plans had a ‘getting to know me’ section where people and those important to them were encouraged to document things they like doing such as certain hobbies. One person had been a keen gardener prior to moving into Pinetree Care Home and the home supported them to establish the ‘Garden Club’ for them and other people to enjoy the outside space and for them to continue enjoying a lifelong hobby.

Care plans also had a ‘life enrichment’ section which detailed people’s life histories, outcomes and how they can be empowered to live well. The home supported people to achieve personal goals and wishes that were meaningful to them. One example of how the home had supported people to feel empowered included one person being supported to walk their daughter down the aisle and the steps the home took to facilitate this for them. The positive impact this had on the person and their wider family demonstrated the commitment from the home to ensure people’s needs and wishes were met and that people and their families felt valued and supported. One comment we received from a relative included, “[Relative] has been the happiest and more contented since [they] went to live at Pinetree Care Home. That is due to the amazing team that look after [their] every need and give [them] a great life.”

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

People’s care plans identified their preferences and choices and how people preferred to have their care and support needs met. People told us they were encouraged to participate in activities, but staff respected their wishes if they chose not to. One person told us, “I do the chair exercises. If I feel like it, I go and they listen.”

We observed people being offered choices, for example, at lunchtime people were offered a choice of meals. Staff were observed promoting independence. People told us they were encouraged to be as independent as possible. One person told us, “I have a pendent buzzer, I value my independence”

Relatives confirmed that there were no restrictions on visiting and the home and all the staff was warm and welcoming. One relative told us, “I have been so impressed by all the staff and how they respond to visitors and residents alike with friendliness and politeness. They are all easy to speak to and will talk to you when you want.”

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.

People told us they could ask for support when needed, however, we did receive mixed feedback around how long people had to wait for staff to attend to them. Comments included, “They need a few more staff. You buzz and they [staff] say we will be back in a minute, but it is half an hour.” Another person told us, “I feel safe, lots of staff around. I can always find someone.” The provider completed a weekly call bell analysis to review how timely the call bells were responded to and gain feedback from people. We did not identify any concerns around the call bell times when reviewing the call bell analysis.

During our onsite inspection we observed staff responded to people’s needs in a timely manner. We observed enough staff available to assist when needed.

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.

Feedback we received from staff was consistently positive about working at Pinetree Care Home. Staff told us they felt supported by management. One staff member told us, “I feel concerns can be discussed openly and management are approachable when support is needed.” The provider had staff development courses in place, for example, they have a senior carer programme for training to help the senior care team to develop their skills further. One staff member told us, “I would love to progress here, I would like to make a difference.” The registered manager supported and encouraged staff during the inspection process to feedback to inspectors.

Staff received supervisions and had regular staff meetings. The provider celebrated staff achievements via the employee of the month system and acknowledged the teams hard work by holding events such as an awards night. Staff told us this made them feel valued and motivated within their roles and created a positive culture amongst the team.