CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Oaklands
Rated Requires improvement: inspectors found the home was not performing as well as it should and told it what to change.
What inspectors found, July 2023
Oaklands is rated Good; inspectors found safe, person-centred care, with some minor recording and communication issues.
Inspectors visited on 8, 13 and 16 June 2023. They met everyone living at the home, spoke with staff, seven relatives and health and social care professionals, and reviewed care, medicines, staff and management records.
The home supports up to 15 adults with learning disabilities or other complex needs. Inspectors found enough trained staff, detailed care plans, safe medicines systems, good infection control and support for people to make choices and take part in activities.
The home was rated Good overall. Safe, Effective and Well-led were also rated Good. This was an improvement from Requires Improvement at the previous inspection, published in January 2020.
Person-centred care
Care was based on people's individual needs, choices and wishes. Staff supported people with dignity and respect.
“People received care which was person centred and were treated with dignity and respect.” from the report
Choice and independence
People were supported to make choices, follow their interests and use local community facilities. Staff aimed to use the least restrictive approach.
“The model of care and setting maximised people's choice, control and independence” from the report
Staffing and training
Inspectors found enough safely recruited staff, including one-to-one support where needed. Training covered both general requirements and people's specific needs.
“There were enough staff to support people with their care and social needs safely.” from the report
Positive leadership
Management was closely involved in the home and focused on people's wellbeing, development and quality of life. Relatives and professionals described the culture positively.
“The leadership at Oaklands is very much part of the Oaklands family.” from the report
Medicine records
needs fixingInspectors found a small number of recording problems on medicine administration records. These were dealt with immediately, but families should ask how the checks are maintained.
“There were a small number of recording issues on medicine administration records which were addressed immediately.” from the report
Sign-in and sign-out safety
needs fixingTwo staff did not sign out when they took a person to an appointment. The manager was told so this could be addressed.
“We observed two staff not signing out when they left the building to take a person to an appointment.” from the report
Communication
minorCommunication was identified as an area needing continued improvement. Inspectors also received a small number of comments about poor communication at times.
“Communication had been identified as an area to continue to work on improving but the registered manager was aware of this.” from the report
Kitchen dietary information
needs fixingPeople's full dietary information was not visible in the kitchen during the visit. Management said it had previously been there and would make sure kitchen staff could always find it.
“People's full dietary information was not evident in the kitchen when we visited.” from the report
- 01What checks now make sure medicine administration records are completed accurately every time?
- 02How do you make sure staff sign in and out when taking someone to an appointment?
- 03Where is people's full dietary information kept, and how can kitchen staff access it quickly?
- 04What have you done to improve communication with families, staff and people living at the home?
- 05How are comments about the senior staff member being followed up?
This was a focused inspection that assessed Safe, Effective and Well-led; Caring and Responsive were not assessed and no separate ratings were given for them. This explanation was written from the published report of 12 July 2023 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.
What inspectors found, January 2020
Oaklands rated Requires Improvement; inspectors found kind, responsive care but ongoing safety, training and leadership weaknesses.
CQC made an unannounced inspection over five visits between 1 October and 19 November 2019. Inspectors spoke with people living in the home, relatives, staff and health professionals. They reviewed care plans, medicines records, staff recruitment records and management records.
The home was not consistently safe, effective or well-led. Recent serious events, changes in staffing and management instability had affected the home. Safety checks, staff communication, training, care records and improvement systems were still being strengthened.
Inspectors found Good caring and responsive care. People were treated with dignity, received personalised support, had their communication needs considered and were supported with interests and relationships. The overall Requires Improvement rating means the home was not consistently meeting the expected standard, although the provider was no longer in breach of the two regulations identified at the previous inspection.
Kind and respectful care
People were treated well, with their privacy and dignity respected. Inspectors also saw positive interactions between staff and people.
“There were positive interactions between staff and people.” from the report
Personalised support
People's care was personalised and support plans were being reviewed to reflect their needs and preferences. Their communication needs were recorded and information was available in different formats.
“Overall, people received personalised care which met their needs.” from the report
Food and health support
People received a safe and suitable diet. Staff understood people's dietary needs and risks around eating and drinking.
“People were provided with a safe and suitable diet.” from the report
Interests and relationships
People were supported to maintain hobbies and interests both inside and outside the home. Advocates and meetings helped people express their views.
“People were supported to maintain their hobbies and interests both within and outside the home.” from the report
Safety systems still developing
seriousRecent adverse events had affected the safety and smooth running of the home. Checks and systems were still being put in place, reviewed and monitored.
“A number of recent adverse events had impacted upon the safety and smooth running of the home.” from the report
Staff skills and support
needs fixingStaff changes affected the team's skill mix. New staff had not received as robust an induction as usual, and supervision had not always happened as planned.
“Because of the sudden transfer of staff from one service to another, induction of the new staff had not been undertaken as robustly as usual.” from the report
Communication with professionals
needs fixingCommunication with external health and social care professionals was not always effective or timely. The provider said this was being addressed.
“Several professionals stated that communication needed to improve to ensure people received effective and timely care.” from the report
Management instability
needs fixingThere had been several management changes. Improvement actions were not always completed as planned, so leadership and oversight were still inconsistent.
“Due to the changes in management, actions identified had not always been carried out as planned.” from the report
Hospital-like environment
minorThe building's design, signs and decoration did not always feel homely. Management had plans to address this.
“The design, signage and decoration did not always promote a homely environment.” from the report
- 01What changes have been made to safety checks and incident reviews since the inspection?
- 02How do you make sure new staff receive a full induction and have the right skills for the people living here?
- 03How often are staff supervision sessions now held, and how is completion checked?
- 04What has been done to improve communication with relatives and external health and social care professionals?
- 05What progress has been made on making the home feel less institutional and on providing meaningful activities?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five key questions; it was prompted partly by a specific incident and did not examine the circumstances of the person's death because that was subject to a criminal investigation. This explanation was written from the published report of 16 January 2020 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.
Every inspection of Oaklands
5 rated inspections over 7 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- July 2023Goodcurrent ratingup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2020Requires improvementstayed Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- July 2019Requires improvementstayed Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- October 2018Requires improvementdown from GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- January 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- September 2013
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 3 September 2013.
Ratings and report dates from the Care Quality Commission, Open Government Licence v3.0. A home can also be visited without a new rating being published, so the timeline shows published inspections.
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23 live-in carers within about an hour of Northumberland
These are self-employed carers on PrimeCarers, the introductory agency that runs this directory. Each has a profile with their own rates and reviews from families, and you choose who to talk to.
Most charge £950 to £1,190 a week. 20 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.
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