Archived: Oak House Trust Limited

Updated 14 April 2016

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place over two days on 4 and 5 February 2016 and was unannounced. Our inspection was carried out by one inspector. During the inspection we spoke with five people who use the service, four relatives, four members of staff, the registered manager, two health care professionals and a commissioner of the services. Not every person was able to express their views verbally. We therefore undertook a Short Observational Framework for Inspection session (SOFI). SOFI is a specific way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not tell us about their life in the home. We observed staff interactions with people and each other throughout the inspection. We also carried out a tour of the premises and grounds and observed medicine administration. We looked at three care records, four staff recruitment files and training records, staff duty rotas and other records relating to the management of the home.

Before the inspection we reviewed information we have about the service. This information included the statutory notifications that the provider had sent to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and the Provider Information Record (PIR). A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law. The PIR is requested by us and asks the provider for key information about the service, tells us what the service does well and the improvements they plan to make. We also referred to the local commissioner’s quality monitoring reports.

The last inspection of Oak House Trust Limited, hereafter referred to as “Oak House”, was completed in June 2013. At that time we found the service was compliant with the regulations in each of the areas we checked.

Updated 14 April 2016

We last inspected this service in June 2013 and found the provider was meeting all of the requirements of the regulations at that time. This inspection was unannounced and took place over two days on 4 and 5 February 2016.

Oak House Trust Limited, hereafter referred to as ‘Oak House’, is registered with CQC to provide accommodation with personal care for up to 16 people. The service caters for older men who live with a learning disability and / or sensory impairment. At the time of the inspection nine men were using the service. Oak House is required to have a registered manager in post. The registered manager had been registered as manager at the service since 2010. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People benefitted from a family orientated service where they enjoyed stability and long-term friendships and they were able to make a positive contribution to the daily running of their home. People took responsibility for jobs around the home and gardens, including growing vegetables, domestic chores, stock taking and caring for the hens and ducks. People were valued as individuals and were supported to maintain their independence, learn new skills and to sustain relationships with the people who were important to them. They enjoyed positive relationships with staff and regular activities with their local community, including curry nights and skittles. People’s safety and well-being was maintained through effective links with other community health providers and services. People were respected as individuals and their rights to make decisions about their lives were upheld. When people lacked capacity to make decisions, for example in managing their finances, the service needed to complete capacity assessments to evidence this. This work needed to be completed to ensure that Mental Capacity Act (2005) legislation was adhered to.

Staff enjoyed working at Oak House and the majority had worked at the service for many years. They worked well as a team and respected each other’s contribution, knowledge and experience. Staff felt well-supported and valued. They were able to speak openly and discuss issues or difficulties they, or the people they supported, were experiencing, so that solutions could be found. They cared for the people they supported and responded promptly to changes in people’s day to day well-being, to ensure they were safe. Staff acknowledged people’s contribution and hard work and went out of their way in their own time to provide opportunities for them including nights out and transport to their holidays.

The service worked openly and effectively with health service providers and local community services. They were working with the local authorities to complete an agreed action plan. Leadership was provided by the registered manager supported by the charity’s Board of Directors. They worked closely with staff and were always available to provide support and advice and knew of all significant events happening within the service each day. They worked inclusively with people and their families, staff and other organisations to provide the service in line with people’s wishes.