Archived: Oakfield House

The service has a registered manager who was present throughout the inspection. 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 living at the service. Staff were aware of how to recognise possible signs of abuse and the need to report any concerns. We saw there were enough staff available to meet individual requests for support in a timely manner.

Whilst most medicines were given safely we found that there was a need for some improvement in the monitoring of medicines given on an ‘as required’ basis. There were systems in place to monitor medication administration.

Staff had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and could explain how they put this into practice when supporting the people living at the service. Staff received sufficient training to provide care based on people’s individual needs.

People had their healthcare needs met and received support to maintain their nutritional and hydration needs. People were treated with dignity and respect and their independence was promoted.

People and their relatives told us they were happy with the care provided and that staff were kind and caring and knew people well. People and those who were important to them were involved in planning care to meet the person’s individual preferences. Staff that we spoke with were enthusiastic about their role and could describe how people preferred to be supported.

There was opportunity for scheduled activities based on people’s known preferences. The service had many resources for activities at the home and had also developed links with the community to provide external activities for people.

Care was reviewed with people and those that were important to them to ensure care still met their needs. The service had ensured people maintained relationships with those who were important to them.

Relatives were aware of how to raise concerns and were confident that any concerns raised would be dealt with in a timely manner.

People and their relatives were happy with how the service was managed. The registered manager had ensured that the quality of the service was monitored and sought feedback from people, relatives and staff. Staff felt supported in their role and felt able to make suggestions for improvements to the service.

Without exception the relatives we spoke with were very positive about the care and support provided at the home.

Three of the people living at the home were happy to show us their rooms. Two told us how they helped to keep their rooms clean and what they had been doing that day. On the day of our visit people were supported to take part in a range of activities both inside and outside the home.

People's privacy and dignity was respected. Staff spoke with people in a respectful way using their preferred names. People were relaxed in the presence of staff.

Staff were aware of people's needs and plans were in place to deliver care in a personalised way. People's health care needs were met through community health services. There were systems in place to identify and manage risks to keep people safe.

Staff were supported through training, team meetings and supervision with senior staff to

ensure that they could meet people's individual needs.

There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service provided and for improvements to be made.

When we visited the home, the atmosphere was calm and relaxed. People using the service were happy to show us their rooms and told us that they kept them clean and tidy. They also told us about the various activities they were involved in. On the day of our visit we saw people participating in a range of activities both inside and outside the home. One person told us, 'I like living here; it's a nice home to live at.'

The relatives of people who used the service were very positive about the care and treatment provided at the home. They had confidence in the ability of the staff to meet their relative's needs. The relatives also told us that they were happy with the way the home involved them and the way in which consent was obtained for important decisions, such as hospital treatment. Comments received from relatives included:

'I think the care has been outstanding. They bring (my relative) home at weekends'I know they are content because they are happy to go back.'

'(My relative) is doing something all the while'they get a lot of stimulation.'

'(My relative) is protected, safe and happy, what more could they want?'