Updated 8 November 2023
The inspection
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.
Inspection team
The first day of the inspection was carried out by 2 inspectors. An Expert by Experience made calls to people and relatives. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. The second day of the inspection was carried out by an inspector and a regulatory coordinator.
Service and service type
Oak Lodge is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Oak Lodge is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.
Registered Manager
This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations. At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.
Notice of inspection
The first day of the inspection was unannounced. The second day of the inspection was announced.
What we did before inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We looked round the home and observed interactions between people and staff in communal areas. We spoke with 8 people who used the service and 3 relatives about their experience of the support and care provided. We also spoke to 2 health care professionals who regularly visited the service. We spoke to 7 staff including 4 care staff, the deputy manager, the registered manager, and the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.
We reviewed a range of records including 6 people’s care records and multiple medication administration records. We looked at 3 staff files in relation to recruitment, induction, and supervision. We also looked at a variety of other records relating to the management of the service including training records, polices and audits.