Oakwood Court

Updated 14 October 2024

Date of assessment: 17 to 30 October 2024. Oakwood Court is a residential care home providing personal care to people living with dementia and age-related frailties. The service was run by a dedicated management team. The registered manager created an open and inclusive culture for people, their relatives and staff. They had an open door policy and welcomed feedback about the service for continual service development. Improvements had been made since our last inspection; risks were now being managed safely. Personal emergency evacuation plans were now in place and were under regular review. Care plans and risk assessments for people who experienced emotions of distress were now available for staff to follow. Incidents and accidents were now collated on a central log and analysed for trends and patterns so lessons were learned and shared. People were supported by kind and caring staff who were recruited safely, trained, and supervised. People’s medicines were stored and administered safely, but improvements for recording the use of as required medications was needed. The provider’s safeguarding policy was followed by staff to ensure people were protected from the risk of harm or abuse. The service was clean and maintained to a good standard and provided an accessible environment for people living with dementia. Health and social care professional advice was sought in response to people’s changing needs. Staff followed the advice, monitored outcomes and provided feedback to professionals when needed. People benefitted from a stable staff team; staff understood people’s communication methods so were able to effectively communicate and support them. People were observed to engage in the activities provided. People were consulted in new activities to try or outings they may wish to go on. People were asked their views on how they wanted to be supported and where they may feel improvements could be made to the service; their views were listened to.

Updated 14 October 2024

People and their relatives told us they were safe and happy with the service and gave positive feedback about the staff. Their comments included, “I'm so pleased mum is there she is safe and well, it’s a lovely atmosphere, there is no feeling of claustrophobia, its light and bright, everybody is smiling.” We observed people comfortably speaking with staff and managers. Staff responded to people’s requests quickly and with kindness. A relative told us, “If there is anything that you feel they (people) need everything is accommodated. Everybody is very approachable; I don’t always feel I need to call the manager but they are approachable and you can say what's on your mind.” Staff arranged events, entertainment and parities, people were able to invite their friends and families. Friends and families were welcomed to the service at any time. A relative commented on the activities and said, “They also link with the community living around in the area here, people come in and join in the activities sometimes. They're having a Christmas party for families, there's always something going on for people who want it a real variety of things. They have got a new events coordinator who's been arranging things.” People were enabled to access health and social care services. Where people required health appointments, staff supported them to attend and updated families where needed. Relatives were also able to support people to appointments. A relative commented, “[Person] looks five years younger since living here. The staff stay in touch if there's any health concerns. We're taking her for eyesight test next week but the staff will help us get everything ready.” A visiting health care professional told us about their experience of the service and said, “I’ve observed positive interactions between staff and residents. The staff appear to be compassionate and attentive, fostering a supportive environment in a way that promotes dignity and encourages their autonomy.”