The Oaks

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

Caring – this means we looked for evidence that the provider involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Staff treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. We observed staff to be kind and caring. Staff knew people well and how best to support them. One person told us, “They (staff) treat me extremely well and are caring and kind.” Another person said, “Staff understand me.” A relative said, “The staff are beautifully kind even the new ones. I think oh no, not more new staff but they are nice.” Another relative told us how the assistant manager had supported their loved one in hospital recently and said, “The deputy was with them and went over and above. They also genuinely care for others too.” A further relative told us, “They (staff) give [person’s name] what they deserve.”

Staff treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics. Staff knew people’s likes, dislikes, preferences and how they liked to spend their time. We observed positive interactions between staff and people. People were relaxed, comfortable and engaged well with staff.

Staff promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. For example, one person told us they were encouraged to keep their house clean and said, “I put washing in the machine.” Another person told us, “I help lay the table.” People were provided with opportunities of activities and had control on whether they want to join in with them or not. One person told us they would like to go out on more day trips and another person said they would like to do more activities with animals. A relative said, “Opportunities are given to [person’s name] but are declined. [Person] is not doing as much now and doesn’t get on with some residents.” We observed people were engaging well with each other and doing things they wanted to do during our onsite visit. Another relative said, [Person’s name] is always asked but declines. They (staff) tried rock school on a Monday night. They have mentioned swimming, horse riding, but [person] doesn’t want to do it. [Person’s name] is very anxious and social stories help.” A further relative told us, “[Person’s name] is not doing much of anything. When out with me, wants to know what time they will be going back (to The Oaks). They like to be around staff.”

Staff listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress. One person said, “Staff don’t stop me doing anything and if I get stressed, staff help.” Another person told us, “They get anxious when they fall out with someone (another person using the service) but they make it up.” Staff knew people well and could tell us how they responded when people showed signs of agitation or expressing emotional distress. Staff followed people’s positive behaviour support plans which were in place and provided them with the information they needed for emotional support and de-escalation. Staff had good awareness and understanding of people’s individual communication needs. They knew how to facilitate communication and when people were trying to tell them something. For example, staff provided information using photographs, symbol cards, social stories and gestures to help people know what was going to happen during the day and who would be supporting them. Staff were aware of the importance of being consistent with communication. For example, for one person in relation to informing them when family were visiting or when they were going to visit family by using their activity planner and story board to support their understanding. However, some staff felt this could be further improved to manage some situations better and to support one another as a team when people were displaying distress or agitation to situations. We shared this with the registered manager who told us this was regularly discussed with staff to identify where staff may require additional support. For example, more experienced staff working alongside less experienced staff.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff, and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. There was an open-door policy so staff could seek support from the management team at any time they needed it. Staff told us the management team were approachable, and they felt well supported and listened to. One staff member described the registered manager and assistant manager as ‘lovely’ and went on to say, “They (management team) tell us (staff) door is always open, and we are here to support anytime.” Another staff member said, “Everything is good. I’m happy in my job and have all the information I need. I’m provided with the relevant training and support to enable me to carry out my role effectively and deliver person-centred care.” Staff spoken with did not raise any concerns in relation to their employment.