Oaklands

Updated 24 October 2019

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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one Inspector and a specialist advisor, who had a background in mental health.

Service and service type

Oaklands 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 service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. This included details about incidents the provider must notify us about. We sought feedback from the local authority. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with three people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with three members of staff including the registered manager and two support workers.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data. We emailed one professional who worked with a person who was placed at Oaklands, for their views on the service provided.

Updated 24 October 2019

About the service

Oaklands is a residential care home, registered to support eight people in an adapted building over two floors. It provides personal care and accommodation for people with mental health needs. On the day of our visit eight people were using the service.

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

Medicine systems and processes were not fully effective to ensure people received their medicines as prescribed. For example, there was no clear audit trail, regarding who had made changes to a person’s medicines. Risks to people's safety had been assessed. However, we found the registered manager did not have access to one person’s risk assessment, as it had not been saved in accordance to the providers policy.

Some areas of the home environment required attention. For example, the kitchen tiles were greasy, as they had not been accessible by staff.

Staff told us they had received training in a range of areas to support them in their roles. Recruitment procedures ensured prospective staff were suitable to care for people receiving personal care

in their own homes. Staff were aware of how to reduce the risk of infection.

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 told us they felt safe at Oaklands. Staff understood their responsibility to safeguard people from harm and knew how to report concerns.

Care records provided information in relation to people's backgrounds, interests and the support they required.

People were supported to maintain relationships with people important to them. Staff were caring in their

approach and had good relationships with people. Staff treated people with respect and their dignity and privacy was respected.

Promoting independence was a part of the ethos of the service and people were supported by staff to maintain their independence.

People were supported to maintain their health and well-being and had access to healthcare professionals such as GP's when required. People were supported to eat and drink enough to maintain a balanced diet. Refreshments were available to people throughout the day

People and their representatives were involved in their care to enable them to receive support in their preferred way. People were supported to take part in activities and were supported to access local community facilities to enhance their well-being.

The provider’s complaints policy and procedure was accessible to people who used the service and their representatives. People knew how to make a complaint.

Systems were in place monitor the quality of the service to enable the registered manager to drive improvement. Lessons were learnt when things went wrong. Relatives and staff felt they could approach the registered manager if they had any concerns.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 28 November 2016).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.