Archived: Oak Lodge Residential Home

Updated 19 September 2017

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 on 24 August 2017 and was unannounced. The inspection team consisted of one inspector and an expert-by-experience. An expert-by-experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Before the inspection visit, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed the information contained in the PIR during our inspection and found it reflected our inspection findings.

We also reviewed information we held about the service. We looked at our own system to see if we had received any concerns or compliments about the home and the statutory notifications the manager had sent to us. A statutory notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law. We also spoke to the local authority commissioners. Commissioners are people who contract a service, and monitor the care and support when services are paid for by the local authority. They had no feedback they needed to share with us about the service.

During our inspection visit, we spent time in the communal lounges to see how staff engaged with people who lived at the home. We spoke with seven people, one relative, two care staff, the provider who was also the registered manager of the service, and the deputy manager.

We reviewed three people’s care records, including daily charts and accident and incident and falls records, to see how people’s care and support was planned and delivered. We looked at three staff recruitment files, the homes training matrix, records of complaints, medicines records and records associated with the provider’s quality checking systems.

Updated 19 September 2017

At the last inspection on 8 October 2015 the service was rated as Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Oak Lodge is registered to provide care and accommodation to a maximum of 15 older people. At the time of our inspection visit there were 15 people living at home. The provider was also the registered manager.

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.

Measures in place to ensure staff and the emergency services had the information needed to support people effectively in the event of a fire, or other emergency required improvement. Some emergency exits within the home were not fully and easily operational. Action was taken to address this following our inspection visit.

People were protected from the risks of abuse because staff received training in safeguarding and understood their responsibilities to raise any concerns. The registered manager checked staff were suitable for their role before they started working at the home and made sure there were enough staff to support people safely. Medicines were stored, administered and managed safely.

People and their relatives were included in planning how they were cared for and supported. Risks associated with people’s care were identified and care was planned to minimise the risks. The management team regularly checked essential supplies and equipment were safe for people to use.

People were cared for and supported by an established staff team who were well trained and sufficiently skilled to meet people’s need effectively. The registered manager and staff understood their responsibilities in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. People received a choice of meals and drinks that met their individual needs and were supported to access healthcare services when needed.

People and staff felt well cared for. Staff respected people’s privacy and dignity and encouraged people to maintain their independence according to their wishes and abilities. People were encouraged to maintain their interests and take part in meaningful activities in the home and in the local community.

People told us they felt safe living at Oak Lodge and staff were happy working at the home. The management team and staff understood people’s individual needs, preferences, likes and dislikes. Care records were personalised and up to date.

People and relatives were complimentary about the quality of service provided and the way the home was managed. Staff felt supported and valued by the management team. The management team completed regular checks to monitor the quality of service provided and invited people and relatives to share their views about the service. The provider used feedback to ensure the service continually improved.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.