We carried out a review of the data available to us about Pine Park House on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Pine Park House, you can give feedback on this service.
Pine Park House is a care home that provides personal care to a maximum of six people with a learning disability. People who use the service live at home with their families and are admitted for planned short breaks (respite). This service helps supports people to continue to live at home with their families. 23 people and their families currently use the service. There were five people staying at the service when we visited. Two people went home in the morning, and two more people arrived in the afternoon.
The home is situated in a residential area on outskirts of Honiton. It is a two -storey adapted building with three bedrooms on the ground floor and three bedrooms upstairs.
The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People enjoyed staying at Pine Park House and felt safe and well cared for. There was a happy atmosphere with lots of laughter and good-humour. People were supported by a small group of caring and compassionate staff they knew well and had built trusting relationships with. People were supported to express their views, and care was organised around their individual needs. Staff promoted people to be as independent as possible and upheld their right to privacy.
The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.
People received effective care and consistent support from experienced staff with the right skills to meet their needs. Staff monitored people’s health and wellbeing and worked with other professionals to make sure people received the treatment they required.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
People received personalised care to meet their needs. They took part in activities and pursued their hobbies and interests. People enjoyed a variety of social activities which included in house activities, trips out, social events, and attendance at day services.
People were protected from abuse by staff who were aware of the different types of abuse, and ways to protect people. People received their medicines safely and on time.
The service was well led by the registered manager and their deputy. The culture was open and promoted person centred values. People, relatives and staff views were sought and taken into account in how the service was run. The provider had systems in place to monitor the quality of care provided and made improvements in response to their findings.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was Good (report published 8 February 2017). At this inspection the service remained Good.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
Pine Park provides respite to a maximum of six people at any one time. The service was set up to provide short breaks for people with a learning disability. Associated conditions includes people living with autism or sensory impairment. There was one person using the service the first day of our visit and two people using the service the second day of our visit. In all, the service provided respite to a maximum of 27 people.
Pine Park has a registered manager who is also the registered manager of New Treetops, which is another respite service run by Devon County Council. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
People received a safe service. No new staff had been employed since 2015 but recruitment practice was in line with Devon County Council recruitment policy. This ensured all checks, to ensure new staff were safe to work in a care environment, were completed.
Staff were knowledgeable about how to safeguard people from abuse and harm. Each person had comprehensive assessments of any risks, such as choking. Those risks were well managed.
The staffing arrangements ensured people were safe and that their planned care could be delivered flexibily and to meet their individual needs.
The premises was well maintained, safe and clean. Bedrooms were adapted to each person for when they were admitted.
Medicines were administered as prescribed, with checks in place to ensure this was done in a safe way. People were supported to manage their own medicines where possible.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is required to monitor the operation of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and to report on what we find. DoLS are put in place to protect people where they do not have capacity to make decisions, and where it is considered necessary to restrict their freedom in some way, usually to protect themselves or others. The service had sought appropriate advice and was meeting people's legal rights in relation to MCA and DoLS.
People commented positively about the food. The menu was varied but flexible, in accordance with people’s preferences and needs. Specialist diets were very well managed.
People's views were sought throughout the day, through their care plan reviews, meetings and through yearly questionnaires about the service. People said they had no reason to complain but they knew how to do so. The standard of communication, and openness of the management, provided people, their family representatives and staff with confidence to raise any suggestion or issue.
People were treated with respect and dignity. People and their family representatives were very complimentary about the care and kindness staff provided. People enjoyed their time at Pine Park. People had a wide range of activities available to them. Friendships with other people using the service were promoted. Staff understood and were able to meet people’s needs and wishes.
People’s health care needs were met through the well organised arrangements with external health care professionals. This provided a safe service when people were visiting Pine Park and promoted their health when they were back at home
Staff were well trained, supervised and supported. They spoke of their pride in the work they did and how well the service was managed.
People and their family members said the home was very well led. There were quality monitoring procedures in place, through the registered manager and organisation, with regular review.
People were informed about care and treatment and were able to have active input into care plans, and were able to suggest amendments to their care. Care plans and risk assessments were amended to insure that they were current and useful.
It was clear that the manager and staff were focused on making the unit a safe and enjoyable place for people to be. People appeared comfortable and happy.
There were enough experienced staff to meet the needs of the people who used the service. Staff were able to cater for people's emotional needs as well as their physical care needs.
The manager had an 'open door' policy and was accessible to staff, people who used the service and their families.