Archived: Oakwood Lodge

The inspection of this service took place on 18 October 2016 and was announced.

There was a registered manager in post and they were present at the time of the inspection. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, registered managers 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 were supported by staff who knew how to keep them safe and free from harm. Staff knew how to recognise and report any risks, problems or potential signs of abuse.

People lived independently with varying levels of support from the staff team. Staffing levels were determined based upon assessments of need and flexible support was also available if these needs changed. There were sufficient staff to meet people’s care needs. Staff were able to provide safe support because risks were assessed and plans were in place to reduce and manage risks where possible. Assessments were reviewed and care plans amended as people’s needs changed

People who required support to take their medicines were protected by safe systems for administering, storing and recording medicines. Training was in place to enable staff to safely support people when required.

People were supported by staff who had the knowledge and skills to provide effective support. Staff received good training opportunities and training was developed to meet people’s individual needs and conditions. Staff were recruited through safe recruitment practices meaning that only people suitable to work in the role were appointed.

Staff understood their roles and responsibilities and worked well as a team to ensure people’s needs were met. People’s rights were protected under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and staff understood how to protect people’s human rights. People were supported to make choices in relation to the care and support they received and staff respected people’s decisions to refuse or change their support to fit in with people’s plans or preferences.

Staff worked with healthcare professionals to promote people’s good health and monitored people when needed to identify that they were eating a diet that was suitable to meet their individual dietary needs. Meals prepared at Oakwood Lodge received mixed feedback in relation to quality and variety. The registered manager was in the process of reviewing arrangements.

People were supported by staff who were caring and kind. People felt relaxed with staff and had consistency of staff who knew them well. People were supported to be involved in their care. People told us they were supported to remain as independent as possible and staff respected their privacy and dignity. Staff were aware that people could become socially isolated and so encouraged people to mix with others or take part in activities in order to reduce this risk.

People received a responsive service. They told us they received personal care and medicines on time and were informed if there were any unavoidable delays. People also told us that if they called for help they received prompt support. Staff told us that they had the flexibility to accommodate people’s changing plans and routines.

People told us they were able to raise concerns and felt these would be acted on by the registered manager. The provider had an effective procedure in place to manage complaints.

People told us that they were regularly asked if they were happy with the service provided. They were involved and consulted in the running of the service and felt that their views and ideas were listened to and acted upon. Systems and processes were regularly audited and outcomes were acted upon to improve the quality of the service. The registered manager was open to formal and informal feedback from people in order to continually improve the service provided.

During the inspection we spoke with the registered manager, three staff, six people who used the service and one relative.

Oakwood Lodge provided care to people who lived in their own flats within the scheme at Oakwood Lodge and who wished to purchase this support from the care team based there. Staff were available 24 hours a day.

We saw that there were arrangements in place to gain people's consent to the care and support they required.

People told us and records showed that people received care and support which met their needs. One person told us: 'We have fabulous carers'. Another person who used the service said: 'We are very well supported'.

We saw that there were sufficient numbers of staff to meet the health and welfare needs of the people who used the service.

We found the staff received appropriate training, supervision and appraisals of their performance to provide people with the care and treatment they needed.

We found the service had not received any complaints since the last inspection. There was a robust system in place to deal with comments and complaints for the benefit of the people who used the service and their families.

People told us, "Staff are very supportive". They told us that staff were respectful and provided assistance when they needed it. People told us that they had an agreed number of visits but if they wanted to stay in bed, or stay up later than planned, care staff would come back later to assist them.

We found that support plans and risk assessments were kept under review. This meant that people received the care they needed.

We saw that the management and administration of people's medicines was undertaken safely which meant that people received their medicines as prescribed.

We saw that the service had a robust safeguarding system in place, including regular training for staff. The system used for holding people's personal monies ensured that it was safely and securely held. This meant that people living at the service were appropriately protected, and people's money and property were safe.

We saw that the service had a quality assurance system in place ensuring that people received safe and appropriate care that met their needs.