Oak Tree Lodge

Oak Tree Lodge is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 60 older people. At the time of our inspection there were 56 people using the service. Oak Tree Lodge is a purpose built home and accommodates people over three floors.

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

People were not always safe. People were at risk of harm because the provider did not always identify or mitigate risks. This included risks relating to people's health and care needs. Medicines were not managed safely. Accidents and incidents were recorded but actions to prevent repeat events were not always followed up. Staff were often stretched and felt they did not always have time to deliver quality care. Staff were recruited safely. Systems were in place to safeguard people from abuse and control infection.

Staff received the training and formal support they needed for their role. The service worked in partnership with other professionals and supported people to access appropriate healthcare. People had pleasant dining experiences and enjoyed the food. The environment was comfortably furnished and suitable to meet 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 and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People were always treated with kindness. Feedback was consistently positive from people who used the service and their relatives. Everyone was complimentary about the staff. The service understood when people needed help from their families and were supported to maintain contact. Staff had the right skills to make sure good care principles were followed; they were sensitive and responsive.

Care was usually planned and delivered in a person-centred way. People told us the care they received met their needs and preferences. People had opportunities to engage in a range of activities. Relatives told us they felt listened to and could raise concerns and complaints.

Governance and performance management were not always effective because checks did not always identify learning and secure improvement. Records about people’s needs were not always accurate. The service was introducing an electronic care recording system which they felt would improve the care planning process. People who used the service, relatives and staff were very complimentary about the registered manager who had been in post 4 months. We received consistent feedback they were making positive changes and had already made improvements.

The registered manager was responsive to the inspection findings and sent information to show they were taking action to address shortfalls identified at the inspection.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 6 May 2021 and this is the first inspection. The last rating for the service under the previous provider was good, published on 1 December 2020.

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.

Enforcement

We have identified breaches in relation to safe care and governance at this inspection.

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.