Archived: Oaklands (Nottingham)

Updated 29 November 2016

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.

The inspection took place on 21 June 2016 and was unannounced. The inspection was undertaken by one inspector, one specialist advisor (nursing) and an expert by experience. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Before the inspection we reviewed relevant information, including notifications sent to us by the provider. Notifications are changes, events or incidents that providers must tell us about. We also contacted the local authority who commission services from the provider and Healthwatch which is an organisation that works with people who live in this type of home. We also spoke with a nurse from the local GP surgery. We asked the provider to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what it does well and improvements they plan to make.

We spoke with five people who used the service. Not everyone who used the service could fully communicate with us and so we also completed a Short Observational Framework (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We spoke with four people who were supported by the service and four relatives of people who use the service, the deputy manager (who is also a nurse), three nursing assistants, two care assistants and the cook. We looked at three people's care plans and we reviewed other records relating to the care people received and how the home was managed. This included some of the provider’s checks of the quality and safety of people's care, staff training and recruitment records.

Updated 29 November 2016

The inspection took place on 21 June 2016 and was unannounced. Oaklands Care Home is a 40 bedded home and at the time of our inspection 31 people were living there. At our last inspection on 14 August 2014 the service was found to require improvement in the Safe domain. Other key lines of enquiry were rated good.

There was no registered manager at the service. 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. The provider was actively recruiting for a new registered manager.

People felt safe living at Oaklands. People were protected from avoidable harm and abuse by staff who understood how to identify and report this. Staff were encouraged to raise concerns and were aware of who to speak with if they had any worries about anyone living at the home. Risks to individuals were managed and risk assessments in care plans were complete and up to date.

There were insufficient numbers of staff to meet people's care needs consistently and there were insufficient staff to support all people to follow interests when they wished. Medicines were managed safely and people received them in a timely manner.

Staff had the skills and knowledge to care for the people who lived in the home and training and induction for new staff was provided. Staff had an understanding of the Mental Capacity Act and people's consent was sought, on most occasions, before they were supported with their personal care needs.

People had enough to eat and drink and were supported to maintain a balanced diet. There was a sufficient and varied diet and nutritional needs were identified. Where necessary, extra support was provided to people ensure they had adequate nutrition. People were supported to maintain good health and access to health and social care professionals was available when they required this.

There were positive caring relationships in the home between the staff and the people they cared for. People were supported to express their views on some occasions, though this was not consistent. People's privacy and dignity was respected and maintained. There was a complaints process for people to use should they wish to do this.

There was no registered manager in post but there was a deputy manager who was well regarded by both the staff and people living in the home. Quality audits in the home were undertaken but the action points from those was audits were not always actioned.