The Oaks Care Home

On this page

• Overview
• Shared direction and culture
• Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders
• Freedom to speak up
• Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion
• Governance, management and sustainability
• Partnerships and communities
• Learning, improvement and innovation

Well-led – this means we looked for evidence that service leadership, management and governance assured high-quality, person-centred care; supported learning and innovation; and promoted an open, fair culture. At the last inspection we rated this key question requires improvement. At this inspection the rating has changed to good. This meant the service was consistently managed and well-led. Leaders and the culture they created promoted high-quality, person-centred care. 

This service scored 68 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The provider had a very clear shared vision, strategy and culture. This was based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, engagement, and understanding of the challenges and the needs of people and their communities. This was evident in the way staff consistently worked in line with the provider’s values of transparency, equity, and inclusion. Staff consistently described strong teamwork, a sense of belonging and a culture where colleagues supported one another, including during periods of personal difficulty. Staff told us the service was “a friendly”, and respectful place to work and spoke about a culture where “staff views are important” and everyone contributed to improvements.

The provider and senior carers were inclusive leaders who understood the context in which they delivered care, treatment and support. They had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively. They always did so with integrity, openness and honesty. Staff described the provider and senior staff as approachable, supportive and responsive. Any concerns were taken seriously and addressed in a timely way, which helped staff feel supported in their roles.

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. People, relatives and staff told us they felt confident to raise concerns with the registered manager and these would be listened to and acted upon. Regular meetings provided opportunities for discussion, and management was described as approachable. Staff reported feeling comfortable raising concerns and confident these would be addressed.

The provider valued diversity in their workforce. They work towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who work for them. The provider valued diversity and ensured they followed best practice guidance.

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. Since the last inspection the provider has developed a range of quality assurance processes, including audits and systems for checking the actions they were taking were effective. The provider had been working on making improvements to this. They used audits, incident reviews and feedback to identify learning and drive improvement. However, this was not always reflected in the records. They took on board suggestions from external parties and employed contractors to assist them check the service. We discussed delegating tasks to staff, particularly those who wanted to develop managerial skills.

Staff worked collaboratively with healthcare professionals to support people’s needs. Staff clearly understood and carried out their duty to work in partnership and provide a seamless service. They shared information and learning with partners and collaborated for improvement. Relatives reported that staff were responsive and approachable, and the home maintained positive relationships with families.

The provider focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement but found they were often delivering care and support so unable to record the actions that had been taken and the outcome. Staff described being involved in reviewing how the service worked and testing new ways of working, with suggestions welcomed and implemented where appropriate. A staff member said, “My voice is listened to, I learned everyday at The Oaks and any good suggestions are used.”