Oakdene Care Home

Updated 8 November 2023

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by 2 inspectors and 2 Experts by Experience.

An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. One Expert by Experience accompanied us on our visit to the service and the second Expert by Experience undertook phone calls to relatives following our visits to the service.

Service and service type

Oakdene Care Home is a ‘care home.’ People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Oakdene Care Home is a care home with nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations. At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced. Inspection activity started on 16th October 2023 and finished on the 20 October 2023.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

The provider had completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about the service, what it does well and improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection

As part of this inspection we spoke with the registered manager and the nominated individual for the service. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. We also spoke with 1 registered nurse, 3 members of care staff and 2 members of kitchen staff.

We spoke with 9 people living at the service and 12 relatives. We observed people being supported at the service. We reviewed a mix of care records of 5 people, including care plans, risk assessments and monitoring information. We reviewed 5 staff files.

Updated 8 November 2023

About the service

Oakdene care home is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to up to 35 people. The service provides support to older people with physical and/or mental health needs. At the time of our inspection there were 29 people using the service.

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

We found significant improvements at the service since our last visit. The registered manager had been in post approximately 10 months, during this time they had worked with the provider to improve the care, environment and quality monitoring processes to enhance the standard of care for people.

People told us they felt safe at the service. The registered manager and their deputy worked with the provider to ensure all safeguarding concerns were dealt with appropriately. There were processes in place to enable learning from events.

The environmental and personal risks to people’s safety were well managed. Assessments of people’s needs had been undertaken using nationally recognised assessment tools, and measures to reduce risks had been put in place using these risk assessments.

People were supported by adequate numbers of staff who had been recruited safely and received appropriate training for their roles

People received their medicines safely, and there were good quality monitoring systems in place to manage medicines and to highlight and reduce possible errors.

The service was clean and there were good infection prevention and control processes in place to reduce the risk of infections to people.

People’s nutritional needs were well managed. People enjoyed the food served to them. They were given choice and supported with their meals by a staff group who showed good knowledge of their nutritional needs.

Peoples’ health needs were well managed and there were good working relationships with external health professionals to provide good outcomes for people.

The environment people lived in was well maintained and the provider had an ongoing improvement and refurbishment plan in place.

People were supported by a staff group who treated them with respect and maintained their dignity. They were supported to maintain relationships with their families and there was a clear activities program in place to reduce people’s feelings of boredom or isolation.

The service had systems in place to manage complaints and concerns from people or their relatives and people told us they felt listened to.

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.

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 inadequate (published 20 February 2023). 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.

This service has been in Special Measures since 20 February 2023. During this inspection the provider demonstrated that improvements have been made. The service is no longer rated as inadequate overall or in any of the key questions. Therefore, this service is no longer in Special Measures.

Why we inspected

This inspection was carried out to follow up on action we told the provider to take at the last inspection. The overall rating for the service has changed from Inadequate to Good based on the findings of this inspection.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.