Whiteoaks Rest Home

Updated 13 March 2020

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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

Whiteoaks Rest Home 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.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We used this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with four people who used the service and four relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with two professionals who regularly visit the home and we spoke with ten members of staff including the deputy manager, chefs, senior carers, care assistants, the Head of maintenance, a housekeeping member of staff and the registered manager via telephone.

We reviewed a range of records. This included four people’s care records and multiple medication records. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records and five records in relation to recruitment and staff supervision.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

Updated 13 March 2020

About the service

Whiteoaks Rest Home is a residential care home registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 38 older people. The home had two floors with lift and stair access to each floor. At the time of inspection 29 people were being supported.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People experienced care that was very personalised. The provider provided an extensive and varied range of activities enabling people to live fulfilled lives. There was a strong emphasis on inclusion within the home and ensuring activities were accessible to anyone who wanted to join in. There was a culture embedded, within the home of encouraging people to initiate and arrange activities of their own. The registered manager was passionate about promoting opportunities for people to experience community events and for everyone to have the opportunity.

The provider worked collaboratively with other healthcare professionals and were responsive to their advice. People's communication needs were fully considered so that information was given in line with their needs. The registered manager was pro-active in ensuring they were visible within the home and operated an open-door policy.

People and their relatives were positive about the quality of care and support people received. Care plans detailed people's preferences, emotional wellbeing support needs and cultural and spiritual needs. There was a strong emphasis on promoting people's independence. Staff respected people's privacy and dignity. We saw a warm and caring approach by staff with positive and kind interactions between staff and people.

People and their relatives told us people felt safe. Risks to people were recorded in their care plans and there were systems in place to protect people from abuse. Staff were confident that concerns would be acted on. People received their medicines safely and staff completed training in infection control. Incidents and accidents were investigated, and lessons learnt shared. There was an emphasis on consistency of staff and there were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs and keep them safe.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff involved people and worked with other organisations to ensure people received effective health care support. People were encouraged to maintain a healthy, balanced diet, based on their individual needs and could access food and drink when they wanted to.

The feedback we received from people and their relatives was positive, expressing confidence in management, leadership and care delivery. The registered manager promoted both formal and informal opportunities to ask people and their relatives for their views and suggestions. The home employed various methods to ensure people and their relatives were kept informed about what was happening in the home.

The service was led by a management team whose passion and drive to achieve excellence, leading by example, was evident. At the time of inspection, the registered manager was away from the service for a period of annual leave and whilst there was a deputy manager on site they did not have access to all information to be able to manage the home in the registered manager’s absence. The risk was mitigated by the registered manager being available to provide telephone support if required.

The registered manager promoted an inclusive, value based and positive culture. They were committed to developing and valuing staff. The provider had established strong links with the local community and the registered manager was passionate about continuous improvement.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was Good (published 28 June 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.