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What the CQC found at Oaklands Littlehampton Limited

Goodpublished 20 July 2026, 2 months ago

Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.

The latest report, explained

What inspectors found, November 2020

Oaklands Littlehampton Limited was inspected but not rated; inspectors found good infection control arrangements during the coronavirus pandemic.

Inspectors visited on 29 October 2020 as part of a national review of infection prevention and control in care homes. The visit was announced and focused on whether the home was meeting legal requirements for preventing and managing infection.

Inspectors were assured that the home had safe arrangements for visitors, social distancing, new admissions, protective equipment, testing, cleaning and managing possible outbreaks. They also found that the infection prevention and control policy was up to date.

The home was inspected but not rated. This means the report does not give an overall quality rating or a rated score for the five questions.

What inspectors praised
  • Managed visiting

    Visits were arranged in advance and could take place in areas that could be cleaned between visits. Visitors used a separate entrance and received information beforehand.

    “Visiting was available in the garden and a lounge that could be sanitised between visits.” from the report
  • Outbreak planning

    The home had prepared extra equipment to reduce the risk of spreading infection and had gathered important guidance for staff.

    “The registered manager had prepared for potential outbreaks by providing additional equipment to minimise cross contamination risk.” from the report
  • Named infection control lead

    A staff member had responsibility for infection prevention and control and was available as a point of contact for questions.

    “A member of staff was allocated as an infection prevention and control (IPC) lead.” from the report
  • Cleaning arrangements

    Inspectors found that equipment had been bought to support cleaning and that detailed cleaning routines were in place.

    “The registered manager had purchased equipment that helped the sanitisation of the home and had detailed cleaning routines in place.” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about

Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.

Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01How are visits currently arranged, and which areas are used for visiting?
  2. 02Who is currently responsible for infection prevention and control, and how can families raise questions?
  3. 03What equipment and procedures are in place if there is an infection outbreak?
  4. 04How are residents and staff currently tested, and how is protective equipment used?
  5. 05How often are cleaning routines reviewed and updated?

This was an announced thematic review focused on infection prevention and control under the Safe question; the service was inspected but not rated and the other questions were not assessed. This explanation was written from the published report of 13 November 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.

An earlier report, explained

What inspectors found, August 2017

Oaklands Littlehampton Limited rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with no major shortfalls.

The inspection was unannounced and took place on 20 June 2017. One inspector and an expert by experience observed care, spoke with people, relatives and staff, and checked care records, medicines, staffing and management records.

The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found trained staff, enough staff on duty, safe medicines practice, detailed care plans and good access to healthcare.

People were described as being treated kindly and with respect. They had choices about their care, food and activities. Relatives and people were involved in care reviews and were asked for their views.

The home had also been rated Good at the previous inspection, so it remained Good. A website problem was corrected during the inspection, after inspectors found that the latest rating and report had not been displayed there.

What inspectors praised
  • Safe care

    Risks were identified and assessed, with clear guidance for staff. Inspectors also saw staff respond quickly and appropriately when a person fell.

    “Risks to people were managed so they were protected and their freedom was supported and respected.” from the report
  • Kind and respectful staff

    Inspectors saw warm and friendly interactions. People were given choices and privacy during personal care.

    “Throughout our inspection, we observed staff engaging with people in a sociable, warm and friendly manner.” from the report
  • Personalised support

    Care plans included people's histories, preferences, health needs and risks. People and their families were involved in reviewing care.

    “Care plans provided detailed information about people from the time they were admitted to the home.” from the report
  • Good management checks

    The home used audits to monitor care, medicines, care plans, infection control and accidents. Identified actions were followed up.

    “Audits we saw were effective and any improvements identified were acted upon.” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about
  • Some comments about meals

    minor

    One person said meals were sometimes not cooked well or were cold. The report also says choices and alternatives were offered.

    “Sometimes it is not cooked well or cold, but we say something.” from the report
  • Staff could be busy

    minor

    One person said staff were sometimes overstretched, although they also said staff were available when needed. The inspection overall found staffing levels sufficient.

    “Staff are excellent, but over-stretched at times. There are always staff when you need them and I think they are wonderful” from the report
  • Website information was out of date

    minor

    The website had not shown the latest rating and report for some years. This was corrected by the end of the inspection.

    “the website had not been updated for some years” from the report
Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01How do you increase staffing when the home is full or staff are off sick?
  2. 02How do you check that meals are served properly and are at the right temperature?
  3. 03How are my relative's care plan and risk assessments reviewed with them and their family?
  4. 04What activities and outings would be suitable for my relative, and how much choice would they have?
  5. 05How do your audits identify and follow up any missed medicines records or other care issues?

This was an unannounced inspection covering all five areas, and the previous Good ratings remained in place. This explanation was written from the published report of 22 August 2017 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.

The story over the years

Every inspection of Oaklands Littlehampton Limited

2 rated inspections over 2 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.

  1. November 2020Inspected but not ratedcurrent rating
    Safe: Inspected but not rated

    Read what inspectors found at Oaklands Littlehampton Limited →

  2. August 2017Goodstayed Good
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good

    Read what inspectors found at Oaklands Littlehampton Limited →

  3. June 2015Good
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  4. January 2014

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  5. March 2013

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  6. January 2012

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  7. January 2011

    Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 11 January 2011.

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.

Next steps

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