16 February 2023
During an inspection looking at part of the service
Oaklands is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care to 22 people in one adapted building at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 25 people.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
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.
The service provided safe care to people. A person commented, “I feel really safe here, the staff look after me.” A relative commented, “Mum is definitely kept safe, I have no concerns.” Staff demonstrated an understanding of what might constitute abuse and knew how to report any concerns they might have.
People’s individual risks were identified, and risk assessment reviews were carried out to identify ways to keep people safe. Medicines were managed as necessary. Effective infection control measures were in place. The principles of the Mental Capacity Act were adhered to when necessary. Health and social care professionals were regularly involved in people’s care to ensure they received the care and treatment which was right for them.
There were effective staff recruitment and selection processes in place. People confirmed that staffing arrangements met their needs. There were enough staff to support people and the staff worked well as a team.
Staff relationships with people were caring and supportive. Staff provided care that was kind and compassionate. People commented, “The staff are lovely. I am happy here” and “They (staff) are really kind and caring.” Relatives commented, “The staff are super, they really are lovely. The staff are so patient. Mum is like a new woman since she moved to Oaklands, she is even walking again!” and “When we visited, a carer was gently stroking mums’ hair, which she likes because she was feeling distressed. The staff are so attentive.”
Staff spoke positively about communication and how the registered managers worked well with them and encouraged their professional development.
A number of methods were used to assess the quality and safety of the service people received. The service made continuous 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 and update
The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 11 June 2021) and there were breaches of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.
At our last inspection we recommended the service follows best practice guidance in developing PRN protocols for individuals who may be prescribed PRN medicines. At this inspection, the provider had made improvements.
Why we inspected
We carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection of this service on 27 November 2020. Breaches of legal requirements were found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve safe care and treatment, fit and proper persons employed and good governance.
We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe and Well-led which contain those requirements. We have also reported on the Key Question Caring.
For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.
We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Oaklands Residential Care Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.