The Care Quality Commission
  • Care Home
  • Care home

Oaklodge Care Home

Overall: Requires improvement read more about inspection ratings

2 Peveril Road, Duston, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN5 6JW (01604) 752525

Provided and run by:
Restgate Limited

All Inspections

During an assessment under our new approach

Dates of inspection: 13th and 15th of May 2025. The service is a residential care home providing support for up to 36 adults living with dementia and physical disabilities. The reason for this inspection was to assess if the service had improved following their inspection in 2024, where we imposed conditions on the service’s registration. We found that there had been significant improvements, and the conditions have been removed as part of this inspection. However, the provider had areas that still required improvements and continues to be in breach of the legal regulation relating to governance and oversight of the service. The provider did not have enough robust systems and processes in place to assess, monitor and identify areas that required improvement in the service. Where there were systems in place, we were not assured that they were always being completed to a good standard. Improvements were required in the way they involved people who could not clearly communicate in their risk assessments, care planning and decision making, medicines management, record keeping and environmental safety. The provider demonstrated a drive for learning and improvement. They were receptive to all feedback and many practices changed during our inspection. People were treated with kindness and compassion, and most people’s individuality was recognised and embedded into their care. There was room for improvement to ensure equity in this aspect. Staff felt able to raise concerns, and they had confidence in their managers to take action. Staff felt their wellbeing was important to the provider, and this in turn enabled them to provide a high level of care and treatment to people using the service.

During an assessment under our new approach

Date of assessment 11 April 2024 to 8 May 2024. Oaklodge Care Home is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care to up to 36 people. At the time of our assessment there were 28 people using the service. As part of our assessment activity, we undertook on-site visits on 11 April 2024 and 1 May 2024. This assessment was prompted by information we held about this service. We assessed a total of 15 quality statements. At the last inspection, this location was rated good. During this assessment, we found several concerns with the quality and safety of people’s care. We identified three breaches of the legal regulations in relation to safe care and treatment, dignity and respect and governance. The overall rating of this service has changed to requires improvement.

2 December 2020

During an inspection looking at part of the service

Oaklodge Care Home is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to up to 36 people, some of whom are living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 25 people living in the service.

We found the following examples of good practice.

Enhanced cleaning and disinfection of all areas of the service took place to reduce the risk of cross contamination. Schedules were in place to support cleaning of high touch areas such as door handles and hand rails.

There was plenty of personal protective equipment (PPE) including masks, gloves, aprons and hand sanitiser available. PPE stations were located around the corridors and nearby all of the rooms where people were isolating. Disposal bins for used PPE were kept in people’s rooms to reduce the risk of cross contamination.

A regular programme of testing for COVID-19 was in place for staff and people who lived in the service. The service were preparing to offer testing to relatives in the near future as part of the government roll out of this service.

Preparation of a visiting pod in the garden and the supporting processes were underway to facilitate people being able to see their loved ones again when it was safe to do so.

Changes had been recently made to support staff take staggered breaks and change into and out of their uniforms in an area which was cleaned after each use. This reduced the risk of infection spread between staff members.

The manager undertook daily walk arounds. This included reviewing and updating the infection prevention and control measures and practices in place throughout the service.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

28 October 2020

During an inspection looking at part of the service

Oaklodge Care Home is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to up to 36 people, some of whom are living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 27 people living in the service.

We found the following examples of good practice.

¿ Safe arrangements were in place for people to receive visits from health professionals which included a temperature check, questionnaire and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks and hand sanitiser. Window visits took place regularly for people to see their loved ones. A new cabin had been purchased so visits could start to take place in the garden when safe to do so.

¿ When people were admitted to the service or returned from hospital, government guidance was followed to support them self-isolate for the required period of time. They were also required to have a negative test result prior to admission. This reduced the risk of infection spread if anyone was carrying the Covid-19 virus.

¿ There was a regular programme of Covid-19 testing in place for staff and people living in the service. This meant swift action could be taken if anyone received a positive test result.

¿ There were sufficient stocks of PPE including masks, gloves, aprons and hand sanitiser. This helped reduce the risk of cross infection. Staff were seen to be wearing PPE appropriately during the visit.

¿ Quality assurance audits took place of infection prevention and control processes. The manager had recently joined the service and planned to add further checks into the audit process. They also planned to make improvements to some other processes such as individual risk assessments around Covid-19 for people and staff.

¿ None of the staff working in the service worked in any other care setting. Since the new manager arrived in September they had only required an agency member of staff to cover one shift. The agency worker was Covid-19 tested. These measures reduced the risk of infection spread within the service.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

26 January 2018

During a routine inspection

Oaklodge is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided and both were looked at during this inspection.

Oaklodge provides accommodation and care for up to 36 older people, including people with physical frailty and some who are living with dementia. Respite care is also part of the service provided at Oaklodge. There was lift and stairway access to all three floors in the home.

At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and on-going monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

The service met all relevant fundamental standards related to staff recruitment, training and the care people received. They received the timely care they needed. However a partial fault in the fire alarm system had been detected during routine maintenance and repairs were on-going when we inspected. Until the completion of repairs additional precautionary measures had been taken to protect people from the risk of fire so they remained consistently safe. We subsequently received information after our inspection confirming that the fire alarm fault had been professionally rectified following the installation of a new system.

People’s care was regularly reviewed with them so they received the timely care they needed. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Staff were friendly, kind and compassionate. They responded to people in a timely way whenever they needed assistance. Staff had insight into people’s capabilities and aspirations. They respected people's diverse individual preferences for the way they liked to receive their care and participate in activities they enjoyed.

People’s healthcare needs met. They had access to community based healthcare professionals, such as GP’s and nurses, and had regular check-ups. They received timely medical attention when needed. Medicines were safely managed.

People were supported to have a balanced diet and they had enough to eat and drink. They said the meals were enjoyable with plenty of choices to suit their tastes.

The provider and registered manager led staff by example and enabled the staff team to deliver individualised care that consistently achieved good outcomes for all people using the service. There were arrangements in place for the service to make sure that action was taken and lessons learned when things went wrong so that the quality of care across the service was improved.

To Be Confirmed

During a routine inspection

This inspection took place on the 1 and 7 December 2015 and was unannounced. The service is registered to provide personal care to 36 older people some of whom are living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 30 people living there.

There was a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection. 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.

Systems were in place to ensure people were protected from abuse; staff had received training and were aware of their responsibilities in raising any concerns about people’s welfare. There were formal systems in place to assess people’s capacity for decision making under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

The provider had robust recruitment systems in place; which included appropriate checks on the suitability of new staff to work in the home. Staff received a thorough induction training to ensure they had the skills to fulfil their roles and responsibilities. There were enough suitably skilled staff available to meet people’s needs.

People’s care was planned to ensure they received the individual support that they required to maintain their health, safety, independence, mobility and nutrition. People received support that maintained their privacy and dignity and systems were in place to ensure people received their medicines as and when they required them. People had opportunities to participate in the organised activities that were taking place in the home and were able to be involved in making decisions about their care.

There was a stable management team and there were effective systems in place to assess the quality of service provided. Records were maintained in good order and demonstrated that people received the care that they needed.

6 August 2013

During a routine inspection

We spoke with three people during our inspection at Oaklodge, they told us the staff involved them in decisions about their care and explained their care needs to them before carrying out any procedures.

People told us they were well cared for at Oaklodge and that the staff knew the care they needed and how they wished to be supported. One person said 'I am happy living here and I am well looked after'. Another person told us 'the staff are kind and I feel safe living here'.

People told us they had enough to eat and drink. One person said 'I like the food here and if there is something I don't like the staff will always get me something else'.

People told us they were comfortable living at Oaklodge. One person said 'I am comfortable living here, I like my bedroom and my bed is comfortable'.

People told us the staff were kind and patient. One person said 'The staff are very good here, they treat me very well'.

16 January 2012

During an inspection looking at part of the service

We spoke with three people during our visit to Oak Lodge Residential Care Home and they told us they liked living there. People told us they were able make choices about their routines and how to spend their time.

People also told us they enjoyed the activities in which they participated, that they could choose what to eat and that the food was good.

They told us that they felt they were well looked after at Oak Lodge and they thought that the staff knew how they needed and wished to be supported. One person told us they were kept up to date about their care and treatment options. Another person commented 'the staff are a good crowd, they look after us well'.

People told us that the staff were nice to them, that they felt safe and that they knew how to raise any concerns should they need to do so. They told us they were happy with the quality of the service provided at Oak Lodge.

During the course of this review we found that people were not always monitored to ensure their nutritional well-being and that when they were at increased risk of developing complications such as pressure ulcers, they had not been referred to all of the right specialists. We found that the management systems had failed to identify that people's needs were not always being met.

16 January 2012

During a routine inspection

People told us they liked living at Oak Lodge and that they were able make choices about their routines and how to spend their time. They told us that the food was very good and that they were able to select their preferences from the menu displayed in the home.

People told us that they felt they were well looked after at Oak Lodge and they thought that the staff knew how they needed and wished to be supported.

They told us that the staff were nice to them, that they felt safe and that they knew how to raise any concerns should they need to do so.