Oak Mount Care Home

Updated 2 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

This inspection was carried out by an inspector and an expert by experience on 22 August 2019. An expert by experience is someone who has used or cares for someone who has used this type of service. The inspector returned on 23 August 2019 to complete the inspection.

Service and service type

Oak Mount 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 notifications of events which providers are required to send us. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with ten people who used the service and four relatives who were visiting about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with six members of staff including the registered manager, deputy manager, senior care workers and care workers. We also spoke with the provider and two healthcare professionals who were visiting. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We reviewed four people’s care records and pathway tracked two people’s care. This is where we checked to ensure they have received all the care they required. We looked at other care records including ten people’s medicines records, risk assessments and daily activities. We also looked at a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including staff recruitment, training, accidents and incidents, quality assurance and health and safety management.

After the inspection

The provider sent us further information which we had requested.

Updated 2 October 2019

About the service

Oak Mount Care Home is a care home, providing personal care to older people 65 and over, some of whom are living with dementia and mental health needs. The service can support up to 21 people.

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

People and relatives consistently told us they were very happy with the care and support they and their loved ones received. Staff were extremely caring, thoughtful and kind and respected their privacy and dignity. They felt listened to and valued as individuals and their wishes were respected. We observed staff practiced these values in the support they provided. People were involved in decisions about their care and were encouraged to be as independent as possible. Staff were skilled at identifying when people were upset or worried and offered compassionate and gentle reassurance. The home was friendly, homely and welcoming. Family and friends could visit at any time and felt welcomed by staff who knew them well and involved them in daily life at the home.

People and relatives told us they thought people were safe at Oak Mount Care Home and were very happy with the care people received. Robust recruitment processes were in place to ensure suitable staff were employed. There were enough staff on duty to meet people’s needs and keep them safe. Risks to people’s health and wellbeing had been identified and mitigated. Accidents and incidents were investigated by the registered manager to reduce the risk of reoccurrence and identify any learning. Medicines were well managed and staff received training in administering medicines. Staff understood their responsibilities in safeguarding people and referrals were made to the local authority when concerns were identified.

People were supported to access routine and preventative healthcare services to maintain their health and wellbeing. People had a choice of nutritious, homecooked foods which met their needs and preferences, and were offered assistance to eat their meals if required. Staff obtained consent from people for day to day decisions. People without capacity to make decisions were supported in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 to ensure their rights were protected.

Staff knew people very well including their likes, dislikes, preferences and wishes and were responsive to their care and support needs, including communication needs. People enjoyed a variety of activities at home and in the community, which enabled them to stay active and interact with others. People and relatives knew how to make a complaint if they needed to and felt confident it would be addressed.

The management team had developed a range of quality monitoring systems, such as surveys and audits, and feedback was used to help drive improvement. Where we identified issues during the inspection, these were raised with the registered manager and provider and were addressed straight away. People, relatives and staff spoke highly of the registered manager and provider. Staff felt very well supported by the registered manager and provider who were approachable and available for support and guidance.

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 23 February 2017)

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.