CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Pinetrees
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People had care plans and risk assessments to guide staff, and medicines were administered by trained staff whose competency had been checked. Inspectors noted earlier safeguarding concerns and found that the protection plan had been followed.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs were assessed before moving in. Staff received training, supervision and support, and people were supported with food, drink and access to healthcare.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff knew people well, treated them with respect and supported their privacy, dignity, choices and independence. People were encouraged to keep in touch with family and pursue their interests.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans reflected people's histories, preferences and support needs. People were supported with hobbies, community activities, family links and information in accessible formats.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The home had quality checks covering areas such as care plans, staff training, health and safety and the environment. Staff were encouraged to raise concerns and share learning from incidents.
What inspectors found, February 2018
Pinetrees was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with some reliance on agency staff and earlier safeguarding concerns noted.
The inspection was unannounced and took place on 4 December 2017. One inspector spoke with two people living in the home and five staff members. They observed care, checked three care records and three staff recruitment records, and reviewed management records.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found that people had detailed care plans, received their medicines safely, and were supported by staff who knew them well.
The report says the home had acted on safeguarding concerns raised before the inspection. A protection plan had been followed and systems for managing behaviours that may challenge had been strengthened. The home was also relying on agency staff while planning to recruit permanent staff.
The home was rated Good at the previous inspection in November 2015 and remained Good at this inspection. This means inspectors found a good standard of care overall, but the rating reflects what they saw and checked at that visit.
Kind and respectful staff
Inspectors saw positive relationships between people and staff. People's privacy, dignity and independence were respected.
“People were supported by staff that knew them well.” from the report
Activities and community life
People were supported to follow hobbies, attend community activities and maintain contact with family and friends.
“People were supported to maintain links with their family, friends and the local community.” from the report
Staff training
Staff received induction, training and regular supervision. The report says this gave them the skills and support needed for their roles.
“Staff received the training; support and supervision that they needed to work effectively in their role.” from the report
Quality checks
The provider and management team used audits and meetings to monitor care and act when improvements were identified.
“There continued to be a strong system of quality assurance that was overseen by the registered manager, area manager and the provider.” from the report
Earlier safeguarding concerns
seriousThe report records safeguarding concerns raised by a family before the inspection. Inspectors found that the local authority investigation had led to a protection plan, and that the home had followed it.
“Prior to this inspection we had received safeguarding concerns from one person's family about the care a person had received whilst living at Pinetree's.” from the report
Use of agency staff
minorThe home relied on agency staff to maintain staffing levels, while interviews were being planned to recruit permanent staff. This is worth discussing if continuity of staff is important to the person you support.
“The service was reliant upon agency staff to ensure that there were sufficient numbers of staff working within the home.” from the report
Management change
minorA new manager had been recruited and planned to register with CQC. The previous registered manager was still available while the new manager was being inducted.
“The registered manager had been recently been appointed to a new role within the organisation and a new manager had been recruited” from the report
- 01What action was taken after the safeguarding concerns and what parts of the protection plan are still in place?
- 02How much do you currently rely on agency staff, and how do you make sure they know each person's care plan and routines?
- 03Who is currently the registered manager, and how was the change in management completed?
- 04How do you make sure people receive one-to-one support when they need it?
- 05How are people's monthly goals, hobbies and community activities reviewed and kept up to date?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five CQC questions and the overall rating; inspectors also reviewed selected care, recruitment and management records. This explanation was written from the published report of 2 February 2018 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.
Every inspection of Pinetrees
2 rated inspections over 2 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- February 2018Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- December 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- April 2015
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 23 April 2015.
Ratings and report dates from the Care Quality Commission, Open Government Licence v3.0. A home can also be visited without a new rating being published, so the timeline shows published inspections.
Weigh the report against the rest
Fees, photos and reviews from families
How to read CQC ratings and reports
What to check when you visit
At least 100 live-in carers within about an hour of West Northamptonshire
These are self-employed carers on PrimeCarers, the introductory agency that runs this directory. Each has a profile with their own rates and reviews from families, and you choose who to talk to.
Most charge £980 to £1,280 a week. 87 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“We can all fully relax around Nyarai and she feels like part of our family, which is no mean feat!”
“If you bump into her in the night on her way to the bathroom she will still inquire how you are and if everything is alright.”
Every carer has had an enhanced DBS check in the last 18 months, ID and right-to-work checks and an online interview. Their skills and training are for you to check with them. Carers set their own rates, and who is free changes week to week.