Our current view of the service
Updated
6 February 2024
The Oaks Residential Care Home provides personal and nursing care in one adapted building for up to a maximum of 30 people aged 65 and over, including people living with dementia. At the time of our inspection, there were 19 people using the service. We inspected this service under our previous methodology in March 2023, where we found the service had significant shortfalls. The service was rated inadequate. We carried out this assessment between 11 and 20 March 2024 using our new methodology, to check improvements had been made. We assessed a total of 33 quality statements from the safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led key questions and found the provider had made significant improvements and was no longer in breach of regulations 12 (safe care and treatment), Regulation 18 (staffing), Regulation 19 (fit and proper persons employed) and regulation 17 (good governance). However, further work was needed to ensure systems for monitoring the safety and quality of the service were used effectively to improve the service. This included ensuring dementia care was fully understood and risks to people’s safety were prioritised in a timely way, learnt from, and used to embed good practice. The rating for this service has changed to good and is therefore no longer in ‘special measures.’
People's experience of the service
Updated
6 February 2024
People and their relatives were positive about the improvements made to the service. All relatives considered their family members to be safe and well looked after. Systems to protect people from the risk of poor care and abuse had improved. Where people communicated their needs, emotions, or distress through their behaviour this was not always managed in a positive way. People’s care plans needed more information to guide staff on how to support people living with Dementia. Staff training had improved enabling them to develop their knowledge and skills. Improved staffing arrangements ensured there were enough staff available to give people the care and support they needed, keep them safe, and keep the service clean. Infection prevention and control (IPC) measures had significantly improved leading to better outcomes for people. People were supported by staff who had been recruited safely. People’s care and support was planned and organised with other health professionals to ensure continuity of care. People were supported to maintain their own health and wellbeing. Staff supported people with their medicines in a way that promoted their independence. People were supported with their diet and nutritional needs. People were supported to make decisions and have choice and control in how they received their care and support. People’s cultural and religious needs were being met. The culture of the service and staff morale had improved. Whilst improvements had been made to the service, the provider’s systems for evaluating the quality and safety of the service had not yet been fully embedded. Safety was still not always given top priority, which meant risks to people were not always being dealt with promptly. The provider and managers understood what needed to happen to continue making improvements to the service and ensure the improvements made were embedded and sustained.