Oatlands Care Limited

Oatlands Care Limited is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care to 39 people at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 43 people.

Oatlands Care Limited is one of three locations at the same address owned by the provider. Some services and facilities such as activities, kitchen and laundry arrangements are shared between the locations as a community. Oatlands Care Limited has its own staff and operates independently, under the overall supervision and management control of the provider.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

During this inspection, we found improvement was needed with some areas of medicines management.

There were safeguarding procedures in place and the registered manager and staff had a clear understanding of these procedures. Appropriate recruitment checks had taken place before staff started work at the service. Staff were effectively deployed to meet people's needs. There were systems in place for monitoring, investigating and learning from incidents and accidents. The service had procedures in place to reduce the risk of infections.

People's care and support needs were assessed when they moved into the home. Risks to people had been assessed to ensure their needs were met safely. Staff were supported through induction, training and regular supervision. Staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to support people with their care needs. People were supported to maintain a healthy balanced diet and they had access to health care professionals when they needed them. The design of the premises met people's needs. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People and their relatives had been consulted about their care and support needs. People were offered a range of activities to support their need for social interaction and stimulation. The service understood the importance of working within the principles of the Equality Act and supported people in meeting their diverse needs. The service had a complaints procedure in place. People had access to end of life care and support when it was required.

The registered manager and staff worked in partnership with health and social care providers to plan and deliver an effective service. The provider took the views of people, their relatives, professionals and staff into account through surveys. There were systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service, and any learning was identified and acted on. Staff enjoyed working at the home and said they received good support from management staff.

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 6 January 2018).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

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.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Enforcement and Recommendations

We have identified breaches in relation to medicines management.

Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

Oatlands Care Ltd is a care home. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. The care home is registered to accommodate up to 43 people across three separate units over three floors, each of which have separate adapted facilities including dining rooms and sitting areas. There were 25 people living at the home when we visited.

The service had a registered manager who had worked at the service for several years. 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.

At this inspection we found that people’s medicines were still managed in line with safe medicine administration and management guidelines. Medicines were administered as prescribed. Records were correctly completed and medicines were stored in a safe way.

People were protected from avoidable harm. Management plans provided guidance to staff to mitigate risks to people. Staff were trained on safeguarding adults from abuse. They understood signs of abuse and how to report it in order to protect people. There were sufficient staff deployed to meet people’s needs and recruitment checks were conducted before new staff were employed.

The provider maintained health and safety systems, and carried out regular checks to ensure the environment continued to be safe. Staff were trained in infection control and knew the procedures to reduce risks of infection and cross contamination. The service was clean. Records of incidents and accidents were maintained, and the registered manager reviewed them to ensure lessons were learned and to reduce the risk of repeat occurrence.

People’s needs were assessed, planned and delivered in a way that met their individual needs and requirements. People and their relatives were involved in reviewing their care plans. Staff updated people’s care plans in line with their changing needs and preferences.

People’s nutritional needs and dietary requirements were met. Staff received training, support and supervision to provide effective care to the people, and to carry out their duties effectively. People had to access to healthcare services they needed to maintain good health. The provider had arrangements and systems in place to enable people receive consistent care when they moved between services and departments.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People gave consent to the care and support they received. The service complied with the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). Relatives and healthcare professionals were involved in making decisions for people in their best interests where this was appropriate.

Staff were kind and compassionate to people. They provided people with reassurance and comfort when needed, and treated them respectfully, maintaining their independence and dignity. Staff also communicated with people in a way they understood.

Staff were trained in end-of-life care. People’s end-of-life wishes were documented in their care plans, to ensure these implemented appropriately. People were also encouraged to participate in activities they enjoyed. The service supported people’s needs with regards to their disabilities, culture and religion. Staff had received equality and diversity training.

The service obtained the views of people and their relatives and people told us they were listened to, and their views acted upon. The provider had procedures in place for managing complaints, and people and relatives knew how to raise concerns. The provider regularly assessed and monitored the quality and safety of service provided. The provider also worked in partnership with other organisations and services to develop and improve the service.

We found that people receiving care were asked for their consent and that the provider acted in accordance with their wishes. Care was planned based on an assessment of people's needs and delivered in a way which ensured their safety and welfare. Records relating to people's care were accurate and fit for purpose. The provider had also made checks on new staff prior to their starting work in the home to ensure they were suitable for the role and staff were able to demonstrate an understanding of the safeguarding of vulnerable adults.

We found that the people who used the service were involved in their care planning and received a personalised care and support which was based on an assessment of their needs. Staff received support and training in different aspects of care and demonstrated an understanding of safeguarding of vulnerable adults. Care records were accurate and stored securely.