Oaklands Care Home

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

Responsive – this means we looked for evidence that the provider met people’s needs.

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

This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery

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 made sure people were at the centre of their care and treatment choices and they decided, in partnership with people, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs.

Care plans were person-centred and contained information about people's individual preferences, life histories, likes and dislikes. This helped staff understand what was important to people and enabled them to provide care that reflected their needs, wishes and routines. Discussions with the staff showed a good understanding of people's support needs.

However, some as required (PRN) medicine protocols contained incorrect pronouns. While staff demonstrated a good understanding of people's identities and preferences, inaccurate terminology within care records may impact the person-centred nature and accuracy of documentation. The management team acknowledged this and advised records would be reviewed and amended to ensure they fully reflected people's individual identities and preferences.

The provider understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity.

Staff received appropriate training in areas such as safeguarding, medicines administration, health and safety, which equipped them with the knowledge and skills to effectively support individuals with a range of needs. The registered manager had completed work to recruit a team of bank staff to reduce the need of agency staff and supported with providing a stable and consistent staff team who knew people well.

Referrals to healthcare services were made in a timely and appropriate manner. Staff followed professional guidance and principles of Escalation of Deterioration (FREED) to support positive outcomes for people, meaning emerging concerns were quickly recognised and acted upon.

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs.

The service considered the principles of the Accessible Information Standard (AIS) and took steps to ensure information was available in formats people could understand. Staff were aware of people's communication needs and adapted the way they shared information, using appropriate methods and formats to support people to access and understand information relevant to their care and wellbeing.

The service ensured people were provided with information in a way that met their individual communication needs. We saw an example of a service information pack being provided in a different language to support with communication needs.

Information was shared with people through regular ‘resident’ meetings, which provided opportunities for discussion and updates about the service. People told us the staff and management team took time to explain information to them and keep them up to date.

The provider made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. Staff involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result.

A resident-led group meeting was held monthly, chaired by a person living at the home. These meetings provided people with an opportunity to discuss what they liked and disliked about life at the service, share ideas and raise any concerns. Feedback from the meetings was shared with the management team and action was taken in response to people's views. We saw evidence people's feedback led to positive changes within the home. For example, a quiet area had been created following suggestions made during resident meetings, providing people with a calm space to relax and spend time away from communal areas.

People's individual wishes, hobbies and interests were listened to and respected. We saw examples of personalised activities being arranged based on people's preferences. For example, 1 person who enjoyed darts had a dart board set up for them, and opportunities were provided for people to participate in regular games of chess. Activities were planned to be inclusive and encouraged participation from people living at the home, their relatives and staff, promoting meaningful engagement and positive relationships.

The provider made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it.

Everyone had access to services when they needed it. People had regular contact with a GP and health professionals when their physical or mental health care needs changed. People were supported to attend appointments and the management team and staff made regular referrals to other agencies. We spoke with the GP who told us all referrals made were accurate and necessary.

Staff and leaders actively listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes and tailored their care, support and treatment in response to this.

The provider had an Equality and Diversity policy in place, and all staff had completed training in this area. This helped staff to provide respectful, person-centred care which meets individual needs regardless of background or identity.

People were supported to plan for important life changes, so they could have enough time to make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life.

The service supported people to discuss and plan for their future care needs. Care records included information about people's wishes and preferences for end-of-life care, although we found 1 care plan where this was not recorded. The management team recognised the importance of ensuring advance care planning discussions taking place to support with dignified and person-centred care at the end of a person’s life.

The service had a designated Palliative Care Champion who acted as a resource for staff and helped promote good practice in end-of-life care. This provided staff with additional guidance and support when caring for people with palliative and end-of-life needs and demonstrated the service's commitment to developing knowledge and skills in this area.