Oak Hall Care Home

Updated 11 September 2021

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.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

Oak Hall Care Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a 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

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We carried out some direct monitoring activity prior to the inspection which provided us with views of people, relatives and staff. We also looked at various documents and records and held an interview with the registered manager. We sought feedback from health professionals who worked with the service.

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 used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with four people, six relatives and seven members of staff including the registered manager. We reviewed a range of documents which included three care plans and four staff files in relation to recruitment and supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including records of meetings, incident and accident records, and policies and procedures were reviewed.

Updated 11 September 2021

About the service

Oak Hall Care Home is a nursing home providing personal and nursing care for up to 55 older people with a range of health needs such as frailty, Parkinson’s disease and dementia. On the day of the inspection, there were 19 people living at the service.

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

People told us they felt safe living at Oak Hall and were happy with the staffing levels in the home. People's medicines were managed safely and effectively. Infection control procedures were followed, and effective in preventing the spread of infection.

Recruitment processes ensured staff were suitable and had the right values for the roles they had applied for. The provider completed appropriate checks on their previous experience and conduct. Staff received initial training and regular refreshers about safeguarding issues, and knew the correct procedures for raising concerns.

Staff supported people whilst promoting their independence. People had individual risk assessments in place and staff understood how to support them to stay safe without unnecessary restrictions. The provider ensured that staff received appropriate training, and new staff followed a process of induction which included working with more experienced staff until they felt confident in their role. The service worked positively with other health professionals to meet people's needs.

Each person had a personalised care plan which reflected their likes and dislikes, their interests, social preferences, and personalities. 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. People were asked about their end of life care wishes and preferences. We received very positive feedback about the end of life care provided at the home.

The registered manager was making steady and sustained improvements at the home and was clear about their responsibilities. People told us efficiency had improved, the home was more settled, and the team appeared to be working together well. The provider was open and transparent about the challenges of the past year including management and staffing changes and commented that the service had turned a corner. This was reflected by the feedback that we received from people and relatives. People we spoke to were without exception, very happy living at Oak Hall.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 16 January 2020) and we found a breach in Regulation 12 Safe care and treatment. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

Why we inspected

We carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection of this service on 6 November 2019. A breach of legal requirements was found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve safe care and treatment.

We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe, Effective, Responsive and Well-led which contain those requirements.

The ratings from the previous comprehensive inspection for those key questions not looked at on this occasion were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection. The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Oak Hall Care Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

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.