Oaklands Care Home

Updated 30 June 2026

Date of assessment: 29 September to 13 October 2026.

Oaklands Care Home is a nursing home providing support to adults over 65 and under 65, those living with dementia, mental health conditions, physical disabilities and sensory impairments. The service is registered to support up to 52 people. At the time of our inspection, 47 people were living at the service. The service has two floors with two communal areas on each floor, and access to outdoor spaces.

We carried out this assessment in response to information of concern we received about risks to people using the service and the age of the previous rating. The assessment was carried out with two site visits and a review of evidence off site.

We identified breaches in regulation in relation to safe care and treatment, privacy and dignity and good governance.

Risks to people were not always identified, assessed or managed effectively, with some care plans not always providing staff with clear guidance. We found some areas of shortfall in relation to the environment, infection prevention and control, staffing oversight and the monitoring of people’s care.

People did not always experience consistently person-centred and respectful care. At times, staff interaction and meaningful engagement were limited, people’s privacy and dignity were not fully protected, and care routines did not always reflect people’s individual choices and preferences. Records did not always provide assurance that planned care, including repositioning, had been delivered as required.

Governance and quality assurance systems were not consistently effective. Some previously identified concerns remained, and the provider’s monitoring had not always resulted in improvements being embedded or sustained.

We found medicines were managed safely, people’s needs were assessed before admission, and staff worked effectively with health and social care professionals. People had access to healthcare support, and their nutritional and health needs were monitored.

The service had an established management team, and leaders were open and responsive throughout our assessment. They acted promptly when concerns were raised and demonstrated a willingness to learn and improve. Staff had access to training and wellbeing support, and systems were in place to learn from incidents and involve people and relatives in the running of the service.

Updated 30 June 2026

People’s experiences of care were mixed. We observed periods where people received limited interaction and engagement from staff, with some communal areas were left unattended despite people living with dementia requiring supervision and support. On some occasions, people attempted to interact with staff but were not acknowledged, and some language used when discussing people did not promote their dignity or demonstrate a person-centred approach.

However, we also observed some positive interactions. Staff provided reassurance to a person who was upset following their recent admission, encouraged people to eat and drink, and responded promptly to potential altercations between people. We also observed positive engagement through activities, and some staff demonstrated warm and reassuring interactions with people.

We gathered information from people who used the service and their relatives or key people. Feedback received was positive, with people telling us the home was safe and a good quality of care was delivered. People and their relatives shared that staff were friendly and caring. One relative told us, “They are dedicated and caring, absolutely fantastic ten out of ten. They are looking after [family member] very well”. Another family member said, “Honestly I would recommend it to anyone”.

Not all people were able to provide us with feedback. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is used by inspectors to capture the experiences of people who use services who may not be able to express this for themselves. Our observations showed interaction between people and staff was limited, with people often going for periods of up to 20 minutes with no interaction from staff.

Relatives told us the provider was responsive if their relative showed signs of being unwell, seeking medical advice promptly. They told us they were also kept informed if their family members health had deteriorated. Relatives were extremely positive about the management of the home, stating the registered manager was, ‘Supportive’, ‘First class’ and ‘Unbelievable’.