Oaklands Care Home

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

Caring – this means we looked for evidence that the provider involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

This is the first assessment for this registered service. This key question has been rated good.

This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

This service scored 75 (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 treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

People told us staff treated them with kindness, compassion and dignity. One person told us “The staff are good; they go above and beyond. They are caring.” A relative told us, “[Name] is well looked after, they are happy and we know they are safe … staff are all very loving, and that needs be applauded.”

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

Care plans contained information about people's life histories, backgrounds and significant life experiences, enabling staff to provide person-centred care. Staff demonstrated a good knowledge of people's stories.

The service showed a commitment to understanding and responding to individual needs. Including the use of robotic animals, used to provide comfort, reduce anxiety and support emotional wellbeing for people who benefited from this type of engagement.

People were encouraged and enabled to continue hobbies and activities that were meaningful to them. The registered manager purchased specific items to support individuals to pursue their interests. One person told us, "The registered manager bought me this light so I can do my embroidery."

The service celebrated important life events, helping people to maintain relationships and mark occasions including birthdays and anniversaries.

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

People spoken with, told us their choices and decisions were respected by staff. One person told us, “They promote my independence. I spoke to the laundry lady so I can help to do my laundry. Whilst I can manage, I want to do as much as I can and they let me. I make all my own decisions about what to do. They offer advice when needed, but we decide ultimately.”

The provider did not always have effective oversight of how people's immediate needs were responded to, particularly during the night, although action was taken to address concerns identified during the assessment.

Two people told us during the night if they use their call bells they wait longer for support than during the day. We were unable to check call bell wait times as the system was not set up to monitor response times. Monthly nightly spot checks were in place where response times were monitored, these had found no concerns with response times. Upon sharing this information with the registered manager, steps have been taken to update the system to include having access to response times.

The provider always cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff, and was exceptional at supporting and enabling staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Records showed staff received regular supervision and attended team meetings, providing opportunities to reflect on their practice, discuss the needs of people using the service and receive guidance and support from managers. Staff told us they felt listened to and were confident approaching the management team with any concerns, including matters relating to people's care, their own wellbeing or personal circumstances. One staff member told us “The registered manager is open, and approachable, they are very supportive of us staff.”

The service was committed to developing and retaining a skilled workforce. Staff were provided with a range of learning and development opportunities to enhance their knowledge and skills. This included access to ongoing training, specialist courses and support to achieve professional qualifications. Staff told us they were encouraged to progress their careers, and funding was available to support further learning, including nursing qualifications.

The provider recognised and celebrated staff achievements. Staff awards events were held, with award winners chosen through votes from people using the service. This enabled people to recognise staff who had made a positive difference to their lives and helped promote a culture where staff felt valued and appreciated.