Oaktree Lodge Residential Home

On this page

• Overview
• Shared direction and culture
• Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders
• Freedom to speak up
• Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion
• Governance, management and sustainability
• Partnerships and communities
• Learning, improvement and innovation

The service was well led. People received a good standard of care because the management team led by example and had expectations about the standards of care people should receive. The vision, values and culture of the service were clearly communicated and understood by staff. The registered manager demonstrated a good understanding of the importance of effective quality assurance systems. There were processes in place to monitor quality and understand the experiences of people who lived at the home.

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.

Staff and leaders promoted a positive culture and were committed to providing a good service to people. The registered manager shared with us their recent reflections following their appointment to the role, “I feel I am now in place where staff morale has improved highly and the feedback across the board has been excellent. The atmosphere is very positive every day and my open-door policy has been very welcomed by everyone. Having regular supervisions has kept the communication flowing where any issues or concerns are dealt with instantly meaning staff can continue delivering the high standards of care.” The culture of the service was person-centred, open and inclusive. People's needs were not seen as a barrier to achieving their goals. Staff were proud of their work and enjoyed caring for people. Comments included, “I feel that Oaktree is a very caring and nurturing home and that people are treated with respect, compassion and kindness”, “It is a lovely place to work. Sometimes it is very demanding but so rewarding. To work for these lovely residents, I feel blessed” and “Nothing would ever stop me going the extra mile for anyone in our care. There are always challenges but with a little thought they can be overcome.”

The provider and manager had kept up to date with local and national developments within health and social care and attended forums, training and signed up to reputable websites to access advice and guidance such as Skills for Care. Skills for Care supports adult social care employers to deliver what the people they support need, and what commissioners and regulators expect. Regular team meetings, handovers, emails and supervision helped staff to feel involved in the service and kept updated about any risks or challenges. The provider monitored and reviewed progress with improvements and plans at the home.

The registered manager and deputy demonstrated effective leadership skills within their roles. Their knowledge and enthusiasm of the service, the people in their care and staff was evident. Equally the provider had a very ‘hands on’, active approach and presence within the service. He was available 24 hours a day. Everyone was proud of the home and wanted it to be a positive experience and place for everyone. There was a clear commitment to providing person centred care and valuing people who lived at the home and the staff team. There was a holistic approach to care which captured the physical, emotional, and social needs of the people they supported. The provider told us, “This includes recording people’s histories, their likes and dislikes, preferences and completing a full assessment, pre-admission, on how people would like to be supported and the adjustments that are required to meet their needs effectively and, in a person, centred way.”

The registered manager and provider both had a visible presence within the service and were available during our visit. They had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively and were open and honest during this assessment. They were knowledgeable and interested in wider issues such as the recent changes to the CQC methodology and the implementation of the Single Assessment Framework.

Staff felt the registered manager and the deputy were always available and approachable. They were supported by the management team and felt confident to raise any concerns. We saw people, relatives and staff confidently approaching the registered manager in their office to speak with them. The office was accessible and on the ground floor. The registered manager had an open-door policy. The daily presence of the registered manager and deputy meant people were seen every day and asked how people were. This approach had helped form relationships with people where they felt confident to express their views.

Staff had access to whistleblowing and grievance policies and procedures. A complaints process outlined how people could raise concerns if they were unhappy. The registered manager’s approach to concerns was thorough, open and transparent. Where required lessons were learnt and improvements had been made. Feedback from people and staff was gathered through planned meetings, and surveys. The provider told us, “Our residents have regular opportunity to engage in house meetings, where choices are discussed, as well as being able to express their opinions regarding staff, menus’, activities, needs and home improvements. No person is excluded from any of the above. All individual requests are met, where possible, with the same considerations as our own needs, wishes and aspirations take precedence.”

The service valued the diversity of their workforce. They had an inclusive and fair culture which had improved equality and equity for people who worked for them. Staff were treated with respect and as individuals. The provider carried out staff surveys, meetings and supervisions which helped support where adjustments might be required. The provider shared various examples where they had taken action to support staff. For those staff whose second language was English they worked alongside the training and development manager to identify any additional training including English Language classes. This had improved their report writing, general communication and overall confidence. Some staff had been supported to access information about their health and encouraged to seek professional help and expertise. In addition, staff had access to an employee assistance programme scheme. This is an independent service that offers employees a safe space to discuss any of their personal or professional challenges that may negatively impact their work performance, mental health and well-being.

There was a culture of zero tolerance to racism and discrimination. Staff had access to equality and diversity policies and guidance, and reasonable adjustments could be made to meet specific needs. The provider ensured the staff were focused and aware of best practice in relation to equality and regular training was provided. Human rights and dignity were 2 of their founding principles and at the forefront of everything they did. Care plans were personalised to the individual to ensure peoples characteristics were protected and promoted.

The provider, registered manager and deputy had a good oversight of the service. Changes had been implemented since the registered manager had been appointed and the provider said that morale had improved under their direction. The registered manager and deputy said their skills complimented each other to ensure they had good oversight, and the service was running smoothly. Systems were in place to monitor and evaluate services provided in the home. The registered manager and deputy reviewed concerns, incidents, accidents and notifications. This was to analyse and identify trends and risks to prevent recurrences and improve quality. Additional monthly audits were carried out for health and safety, infection control, the environment, care documentation, staffing levels, training, staff supervision and medication. Action plans were developed with any improvements or changes that were required. The home had been purchased and registered with the provider since 2019, just before the pandemic. This had slowed down some progress of the work they needed to complete. Much work had been required as a priority on the external areas of the home before work could commence inside the property. There was a refurbishment plan in place and improvements were ongoing.

At the last inspection, we identified a breach of regulations relating to good governance. At that time, we found systems did not always identify shortfalls or adequately monitor standards. At this assessment we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations. The service had implemented new systems for their quality assurance reviews which were completed by an internal head of quality assurance and business development manager. The provider told us, “We have found this to be productive, it has allowed potential short comings to be identified early and rectified. In addition, it has supported us in providing a high standard of care and reaching the requirements of the regulations and legislation. Such work has been evidenced in the improvements in medication, following previous concerns in medications management.”

People confirmed they were supported to attend health care appointments with staff or relatives. One person told us they had been to the hospital but there was a delay with the hospital transport, but they still managed to get seen. People confirmed they were registered with a GP. One person told us they had recently fallen and had been seen by a physiotherapist and they were now completing daily exercises to improve their mobility.

The service was not registered to provide nursing support to people. The provider told us, “We always seek to work with outside professionals to ensure the care to our residents are of the highest standard.” The registered manager and the deputy demonstrated the home worked well with a range of health professionals including, dentists, occupational and speech and language therapists and specialists in mental health and dementia well-being. Weekly rounds were completed by a GP or an advanced nurse practitioner. People could also attend their surgery in person. The registered manager had recently attended an annual review with the GP practice, where they received compliments on the positive impact on people since the provider had taken over the service. A district nurse was observed visiting people that required assistance with their health care needs. The service ensured everyone had prompt and effective access to primary care including preventative screening and vaccinations.

There were no concerns shared by community health and social care professionals.

The provider continued to work in partnership with other organisations to make sure they were following current best practice, promoted joined up working and shared new initiatives and ideas. They ensured they had effective working relationships with outside agencies such as the local authorities, the safeguarding and DoLS teams and the CQC. Staff and leaders were open and transparent during this assessment process and engaged fully with the assessment team.

The external relationships with health and social care providers, supported improvement and innovation. The provider engaged with external work, including research, and evidence-based practice in the organisation. The provider shared with us about a recently completed pilot for reablement, supporting individuals who required to be discharged from hospital back to their own homes. Working with the local authority and health professionals, they supported 26 people to return to live at home as part of the programme. The aim of the programme was to support people to return to their homes with a homecare package, subject to needs. The reablement work was so positive that 4 people left Oaktree Lodge not requiring any homecare package on discharge. The provider received positive feedback from all community professionals involved in the pilot.

The provider, registered manager and deputy helped to ensure that people using the service, their families and staff team were involved in developing and evaluating improvement and innovation initiatives.