Oake Meadows 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 our last inspection we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating remained good. This meant the management and leadership was consistent. Leaders and the culture they created supported the delivery of high-quality, person-centred care.

This service scored 71 (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 shared vision, strategy and culture. This was based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, engagement, and understanding challenges and the needs of people and their communities.

Staff consistently described a positive working environment and told us they felt supported by leaders and enjoyed their roles. Staff across a range of roles, including care, domestic, activities and nursing staff, spoke positively about teamwork and described an open culture where people worked together to meet people’s needs. Staff told us leaders were approachable and responsive, and feedback from people and relatives was largely positive about the culture and atmosphere within the home. One staff member told us, “It is a great place to work, the staff team are like a family and the [registered] manager is really easy to talk to.”

The registered manager and senior leaders had taken steps to support the team culture within the home, this involved staff supervision, team-building initiatives and changes to working arrangements. The registered manager spoke openly about challenges the service had faced and how they had worked to rebuild relationships and stability. The registered manager was visible and there were a range of monitoring visits carried out by management during the day and night.

People, relatives and professionals described the home as welcoming, with comments reflecting a caring and supportive culture. One relative commented on the home, “It has a nice atmosphere.” One professional told us, “My overall impression of the care home is one that holds high standards, very welcoming, professional, productive and person centred.”

The service had inclusive leaders at all levels who understood the context in which they delivered care, treatment and support and embodied the culture and values of their workforce and organisation. Leaders had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively. They always did so with integrity, openness and honesty.

The provider had capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders who were visible, approachable and supportive. Staff told us they felt well supported by the registered manager and wider leadership team and were confident seeking advice when required.

Throughout the assessment, leaders demonstrated knowledge of people using the service, current service risks and improvement priorities. Staff described leaders as approachable and said they listened to concerns, supported wellbeing and considered individual circumstances when providing support to staff. There were examples of leaders making reasonable adjustments and supporting staff with personal commitments.

Professionals working alongside the service spoke positively about leadership, describing managers as responsive, supportive and committed to achieving positive outcomes for people. One professional told us, “[Name of registered manager] is fully supportive to the staff, they have a listening ear and gives staff opportunities for training and development. [Name of registered manager] is fully supportive to our team and supports with transitions and discharges, great communication and always a person centred approach.”

Relatives also reported confidence in the registered manager and felt they could raise concerns or seek advice when needed.

Leaders demonstrated compassion towards both people using the service and staff, while maintaining oversight of service quality and performance. The leadership team had implemented structured governance arrangements and worked collaboratively with external professionals.

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. The service had a whistle blowing policy in place.

Most staff demonstrated an understanding of safeguarding and whistleblowing responsibilities and were able to explain how they would escalate concerns both internally and externally if required. Staff consistently told us they would report poor practice, safeguarding concerns or behaviour that placed people at risk, and were confident concerns would be acted upon. The provider had whistleblowing procedures available, and most staff were aware of alternative reporting routes, including external agencies. One staff member was unsure of external safeguarding reporting processes, indicating a minor gap in awareness.

Relatives told us they felt comfortable raising concerns with managers and staff and were confident concerns would be addressed.

Leaders described systems to encourage openness, including regular meetings, supervision, governance discussions and opportunities for staff feedback.

The provider valued diversity in their workforce. They worked towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who work for them.

Staff told us they were treated equally and fairly and thought it was a good place to work.

The provider recognised the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion and had systems in place to support staff fairly. Staff from different backgrounds consistently told us they were treated equally. Staff provided examples of leaders supporting their wellbeing and making adjustments where needed. Training on equality, diversity and inclusion formed part of staff development, and leaders monitored staff wellbeing through supervision, meetings and informal support.

The service did not always have clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability or good governance.

We identified some areas where governance processes had not always been fully effective. These included gaps in some cleaning records, inconsistencies within documentation, areas of environmental disrepair, aspects of care planning and records requiring improvement, and concerns regarding consistent meaningful activity provision.

Despite these findings, leaders had identified many of these issues and were taking action to improve outcomes and maintain quality across the service.

The provider had governance systems in place to monitor quality, safety and performance and to support the sustainability of the service. Leaders described a structured governance framework which included daily flash meetings, manager walkarounds, weekly governance meetings, audits, action plans, quality reviews and oversight from regional and quality assurance teams.

Systems were in place to monitor incidents, safeguarding concerns, medicines management, nutrition, staffing, call bell response times, infection prevention and control and environmental risks. During the assessment we saw evidence that issues identified through audits or feedback were acted upon. For example, concerns regarding mattress settings and the inappropriate use of prescribed thickening products were addressed immediately when raised.

Leaders demonstrated awareness of environmental improvements required across the service and had plans in place to address refurbishment needs.

The service understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services work seamlessly for people. They share information and learning with partners and collaborate for improvement.

The provider worked in partnership with a range of health and social care professionals and maintained links with the local community to support positive outcomes for people.

Professionals consistently described strong working relationships with the service and reported effective communication, collaborative working and a person-centred approach. One professional told us, “I find partnership working to be very transparent, open and honest with clear communication. As part of the wider team, I have a good rapport with all staff working on the unit, management and the reception/administration team.”

Relatives reported they were kept informed about changes in people's health and wellbeing and felt involved in decisions about care and support.

The registered manager gave examples of how the service supported people to remain connected to their local community through partnerships with schools, churches, volunteers and community groups.

The provider focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcomes and quality of life for people.

The provider demonstrated a commitment to learning and continuous improvement. Leaders described systems for reviewing incidents, safeguarding concerns, complaints, audits and quality indicators to identify learning opportunities and drive service improvements. Staff told us learning from incidents and investigations was discussed through supervision, meetings and governance processes. The provider had introduced enhanced governance systems to improve oversight of quality and safety and used electronic systems to provide real time monitoring and reporting.

Leaders were able to describe how learning from internal incidents and external events was shared across the organisation. There was evidence of innovation through the use of digital monitoring systems and governance dashboards to support oversight and early identification of risks. While some areas identified during the assessment required further improvement, leaders showed a willingness to learn from feedback and implement changes to improve people's experiences and outcomes.