Oakleigh

Updated 20 July 2026

Oakleigh is a specialist residential care home that provides personal care and accommodation for up to 11 people with physical disabilities, learning disability and autism. At the time of the inspection 10 people lived at the service.

We have assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence, and good access to local communities that most people take for granted.

We carried out this assessment on 29 July and 5 August 2026 to confirm whether the rating of good remains accurate. This report does not provide detailed information on areas where we found practice continues to meet a good standard. Instead, our findings focus if we found any areas where the service needs to improve or where we found exceptional practice.

People told us they felt safe and would feel comfortable in saying if they did not. A person said, “The best thing about Oakleigh is the staff”. A relative told us, “The atmosphere at Oakleigh is a positive one. Staff always answer the phone in a cheerful and professional manner and are polite and friendly when we visit. A good balance is achieved between creating a community for the residents while respecting their privacy and individuality.” Staff had undertaken training to support their knowledge and understanding of how to keep people safe. They knew of their responsibilities to protect people from harm.

Risks to people were assessed and management plans were in place to inform staff how to reduce and manage risks to maintain people’s safety. Risk assessments were personalised and detailed and promoted positive risk taking and independence. The provider had a system to ensure all equipment was maintained and serviced.

A system was in place to record and monitor accidents and incidents within the service. The registered manager investigated all accidents and incidents, taking appropriate action to reduce the risk of recurrence and ensure people remained safe. We saw evidence that learning from incidents was embedded within the service, with appropriate actions identified, implemented, and monitored to improve safety and improve the quality of care.

People received their medicines on time and as prescribed. Staff understood and had applied the principles of STOMP (Stopping over medication of people with a learning disability and autistic people).

There were enough staff to meet people’s needs and to provide personalised care and support. People were supported by staff members they knew very well. This helped with consistency and continuity of care as staff were aware of the needs of people they were caring for. Staff demonstrated a strong understanding of people’s individual needs, preferences, and personal circumstances, enabling them to develop positive, respectful, and trusting relationships.

The service promoted an open, inclusive, and person-centred culture. Staff, people using the service, relatives, and external professionals were actively encouraged to contribute to the ongoing development and continuous improvement of the service.

People can only be deprived of their liberty to receive care and treatment with appropriate legal authority. In care homes, this can be done through a procedure called the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), which is part of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). We checked whether the service was working within the principles of the MCA and how they managed DoLS within the service. Staff and management worked within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) authorisations were appropriately applied for and overseen. People were not subject to unlawful or excessive restrictions, they had choice, control and freedom over their lives.

There was a warm and friendly atmosphere at the service. The registered manager had a good oversight of staff culture and guided staff to ensure people enjoyed life. One person told us, “I absolutely adore the manager. They are great, everyone is great.” Most people had lived at the service for a long time. When people did move into the service, they were involved in the decision. Staff facilitated visits to the home as part of initial meetings and the assessment. This gave people the opportunity to meet each other and supported the person moving in to be involved in decision making about their future.

The registered manager maintained effective partnerships with the local community and relevant organisations, supporting a coordinated and collaborative approach to delivering high-quality care where people were truly a valued part of the local community.

Robust quality assurance and governance systems were in place to monitor the quality, safety, and effectiveness of the service. These processes supported continuous learning, identified areas for improvement, and helped drive positive outcomes for people using the service.

Updated 20 July 2026

People and their relatives were positive about the care and support provided by staff. They also said that the management team were approachable, accessible, and friendly.

People told us they were happy living at the service and with the support they received from staff. They were aware of how to raise any concerns or complaints with the service. A person said, “I love my home here.” A relative told us, “I have no concerns with [person’s name]’s wellbeing as the staff are all very good and understand their needs.”

People told us they felt safe using the service and were aware of who to talk to if they had any concerns. A person said, “I can talk to [registered manager] if I am not happy.” A relative told us, “It is easy for us to communicate with Oakleigh, and regular phone updates with the deputy manager enable us to discuss any issues that arise so that they can be addressed quickly. This kind of frequent informal communication is helpful on both sides to clarify any confusion about issues [person’s name] may bring up as they don’t always convey information accurately.”

Throughout our visit, we saw staff, management and people living at Oakleigh enjoying each other’s company. People were relaxed in the presence of staff and had built up good relationships with them. They felt able to discuss what they needed and staff respected them.

The provider promoted the equality and diversity of people. They ensured people had equal opportunities, regardless of their abilities, their background or their lifestyle. For example, staff found ways to enable people to enjoy chosen activities safely. People regularly went to town, had holidays, days out and participated in local events.

People were encouraged to exercise choices on how they wanted to be supported. People were able to be spontaneous. A person told us, “I can choose what I like to eat” and people were accessing the kitchen as they wished. People and relatives were involved in planning and reviews of the care and support being provided by staff.

Staff ensured people knew what they were going to do. They took time to explain to people and ensure they understood what they were saying before undertaking any care task.

Staff encouraged people to maintain their independence as much as possible, in all aspects of life and daily activity. For example, people were able to pursue hobbies and their contributions within the home were important and valued.

People received personalised care and support that was tailored to their individual needs. We found people’s care plans gave detailed instructions to staff on how to deliver care and support to people in accordance with their wishes. Care plans were reviewed and updated regularly or when the need arose. Any changes in people's needs were recorded and discussed during staff handovers. This helped to ensure people who used the service received the care and support they needed.

People were encouraged and supported to pursue their interests and maintain links with the community. Staff supported people to stay in touch with their relatives and to maintain relationships with the people who mattered to them. Relatives told us they could visit their loved ones at any time and were always made welcome.

The registered manager operated an open-door policy where people, relatives and staff were able to discuss any issues they might have. This helped to ensure the service ran smoothly. People told us they were able to speak with the registered manager at any time and people were enjoying visiting the office. There were regular meetings for staff where they had opportunities to discuss any issues or share any ideas. There were meetings held for people as well where they were given opportunities to discuss any concerns they might have.

The registered manager and deputy manager were up to date with best practice. They attended meetings run by local authorities or networking events and provider conferences. The registered manager worked closely with other health and social care professionals to ensure the people received the care and support they needed. One health professional said, “The progress we have made with an individual is amazing, and the staff are regularly thanked for their continued support.” The person was enjoying a good quality of life with less behaviours that could be challenging for others and had been swimming for the first time in years with success. Oakleigh had regular contact with multi-disciplinary teams to discuss people’s on-going needs or to seek advice.