Oaklands Care Home

On this page

• Overview
• Learning culture
• Safe systems, pathways and transitions
• Safeguarding
• Involving people to manage risks
• Safe environments
• Safe and effective staffing
• Infection prevention and control
• Medicines optimisation

Safe – this means we looked for evidence that people were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people were safe and protected from avoidable harm.

This service scored 72 (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 proactive and positive culture of safety, based on openness and honesty. Staff listened to concerns about safety and investigated and reported safety events. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice. Staff and leaders demonstrated a positive learning culture, with incident and accident records consistently maintained and used to inform practice.

The provider worked effectively with people and healthcare professionals to support safe, coordinated care. Staff followed systems to monitor people's safety and maintain continuity of care, including when people moved between services.
Staff supported people to access healthcare services when needed. One healthcare professional told us, "The staff are very responsive and act on any advice given to them."
Staff referred people to external healthcare professionals when they needed specialist assessment, including for skin integrity and risks associated with choking. Staff recorded professional guidance clearly in people's care plans and followed this guidance to help keep people safe and meet their assessed needs.
 

The provider worked closely with people and healthcare partners to understand what safety meant to them and how best to achieve this. There was a strong focus on keeping people safe while respecting their rights and promoting their wellbeing. Concerns were shared quickly and appropriately to reduce the risk of harm.
People told us they felt safe living at the home. One relative said, “The staff and manger are lovely my relative is very happy and we have no complaints at all.”
Staff knew people well and were able to recognise changes in their health or behaviour that may indicate they were becoming unwell. Most staff had completed up-to-date training, and the registered manager was addressing any gaps. Policies and procedures were in place to support safe practice.
Where people lacked capacity, assessments were completed and appropriate steps were taken to involve them and their families in best interest decisions. People can only be deprived of their liberty to receive care and treatment when this is in their best interests and legally authorised under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). In care homes, and some hospitals, this is usually through MCA application procedures called the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). At the time of our assessment appropriate Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) referrals had been made. Systems were in place to monitor and ensure any conditions attached to DoLS authorisations were being met.
 

The provider worked with people to understand and manage risks by thinking holistically. Staff provided care to meet people’s needs that was safe, supportive and enabled people to do the things that mattered to them. People’s needs and risks were assessed and used to develop clear care plans to guide staff on how to support them safely. People and their families told us they were involved in this process. Care plans and risk assessments were regularly reviewed, or sooner if people’s needs changed. Risk assessments were accurate and reflected people’s current needs.

The provider did not always detect and control potential risks in the care environment. They did not always make sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care.
We identified some maintenance issues during our tour of the service which we discussed with the registered manager. The issues were addressed promptly by the maintenance team. Regular checks of equipment, utilities and the building were completed, and action was taken where any issues were identified. People’s bedrooms were personalised, and feedback about the communal areas was consistently positive, with people commenting on the homely feel. However, some relatives feedback was some areas of the home were ‘shabby’ but the provider was taking action to address it.
 

The provider made sure there were enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff, who received effective support, supervision and development. They worked together well to provide safe care that met people’s individual needs.
The provider followed recruitment procedures to ensure all required checks were completed before staff started work at the service. Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks were carried out. DBS checks provide information about convictions and cautions held on the police national computer. The information helps employers make safer recruitment decisions.
Staffing levels appeared sufficient to meet people’s needs at the time of the assessment, and there was a consistent and visible staff presence in communal areas to support people safely.

The provider assessed and managed the risk of infection. They detected and controlled the risk of it spreading and shared concerns with appropriate agencies promptly.
The home was clean, tidy and free from unpleasant odours. Staff followed infection prevention and control procedures and used personal protective equipment (PPE) appropriately. One relative said the cleaning standards weren’t the best however we found the service to be clean.
Staff had received training in infection prevention and control. PPE was securely stored and readily available to staff when needed.
 

Staff managed medicines safely and in line with people's needs, capacity and preferences. They involved people in decisions about their medicines, including when changes were needed.
Staff followed policies and procedures to support the safe administration of medicines. Medicines administration records were complete and contained the information staff needed to administer medicines safely. Staff stored medicines securely and completed the required safety checks.
Staff told us they worked with people's relatives and GPs to ensure they had up-to-date information about people's medicines and any changes to their prescriptions.
We observed senior staff administering medicines. They completed the medicines round in a careful, methodical manner and took steps to minimise interruptions, helping to reduce the risk of errors.