Oakwood Hall

Updated 22 May 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on 20 and 23 March 2018 and was unannounced on the first day. The second day of inspection was announced. The inspection was carried out by one adult social care inspector.

Before the inspection we sought feedback from Leeds City Council and Healthwatch. We reviewed the information we held about the service. This included notifications regarding safeguarding, accidents and changes which the provider had informed us about. A notification is information about important events which the service is legally required to send us as part of their registration with the CQC.

We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During this inspection we looked around the premises, spent time with people in their rooms, with their permission, and in communal areas. We looked at records which related to people’s individual care. We looked at three people’s care planning documentation, medicines records and other records associated with running a care service. This included four recruitment records, the staff rota, notifications and records of meetings.

We spoke with four people who received a service. We met with the operational manager and spoke with two team leaders and four staff, consisting of registered mental health nurses and mental health support workers. We also spoke with the organisation's director of diversity and human resources. Because the registered manager was unavailable during the inspection we spoke with them over the phone after our visit.

Updated 22 May 2018

Oakwood Hall is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Oakwood Hall is a purpose built residential service which provides support for people with complex mental health needs who are often excluded from other services. Placements are for five years, with the aim of supporting people to live back in the community. Oakwood Hall can accommodate up to 12 people, which includes one respite bed. At the time of our inspection there were 10 people living at the home and one person using respite.

This comprehensive inspection took place on 20 and 23 March 2018. At our previous inspection in December 2016 we rated the service as 'Requires Improvement' overall. This was because of environmental safety concerns that had not been identified through governance systems. At this inspection we found the required improvements had been made.

There was a registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People told us they felt safe at the service. Staff were confident about how to protect people from harm and what they would do if they had any safeguarding concerns. Risks to people had been assessed and plans put in place to keep risks to a minimum. Lessons were learnt from complaints, safeguarding and incidents to prevent reoccurrence in the future.

There were appropriate systems in place to make sure that people were supported to take medicines safely and as prescribed.

There were sufficient numbers of skilled staff on duty to make sure people’s needs were met. Recruitment procedures ensured that staff were of suitable character and background to work with vulnerable people.

Staff were provided with a comprehensive training programme as well as supervisions with a manager, to support them in their roles. Staff were led by an open and accessible management team.

The manager and staff were aware of the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People told us that staff were caring and that their privacy and dignity were respected. People were encouraged to become more independent to support them to return to live in the community.

Care plans provided comprehensive information and showed that individual preferences were taken into account. People’s needs were regularly reviewed and where appropriate, changes were made to the support they received.

People were supported to maintain their health and had access to health services if needed. The service worked well with other professionals to support people's rehabilitation.

There were systems in place to look at the quality of the service provided and action was taken where shortfalls were identified. People had opportunities to make comments about the service and how it could be improved.

The registered manager had good oversight of the service and there was an open, honest culture.