CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Oatlands Care Limited
Rated Requires improvement: inspectors found the home was not performing as well as it should and told it what to change.
- Safe?
- Requires improvement
- Medicines were not always managed safely. Inspectors also found mixed views about staffing levels, although records showed the provider assessed people's needs and said there were enough staff.
- Effective?
- Good
- Staff had the skills and training needed to support people. People were supported with food and drink, healthcare and decisions about their care.
- Caring?
- Good
- People said staff were kind and caring. Inspectors found that people's privacy, dignity, independence, choices and equality needs were respected.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans were personalised and updated when people's needs changed. People were offered activities, communication support and a complaints process.
- Well-led?
- Requires improvement
- The home had audits, surveys and staff meetings, but these systems had not prevented problems with medicines management. Inspectors said leadership and management were inconsistent.
What inspectors found, April 2023
Oatlands Care Limited was rated Requires Improvement; inspectors found kind and personalised care, but medicines management was unsafe and leadership needed to improve.
Inspectors made an unannounced visit on 26 January 2023. They spoke with five people, one relative and six staff. They also reviewed care records, medicines records, staff files and management checks.
The home was rated Good for effective, caring and responsive care. People had personalised care plans, access to health professionals and activities, and were treated with kindness, dignity and respect.
The home was rated Requires Improvement for safe and well-led care. Medicines were not always managed safely, including errors in following instructions, incomplete records and missing guidance for some covert medicines. Inspectors found no evidence that anyone had been harmed, but said people were at risk of harm.
The overall rating fell from Good at the previous inspection, published in January 2018. The provider must send an action plan, and the CQC will monitor progress with the provider and local authority.
Kind and respectful care
People told inspectors that staff were kind and caring. Staff supported privacy, dignity and independence.
“People were supported by staff that treated them well.” from the report
Personalised care planning
Care plans recorded people's health conditions, preferences and support needs. They were reviewed when people's needs changed.
“People's care plans were person-centred and provided staff with guidance on how their needs should be met.” from the report
Staff training and support
Staff completed training, induction and supervision. Staff told inspectors they felt supported by colleagues and managers.
“Staff had the relevant skills and knowledge to support people with their individual needs.” from the report
Activities and social contact
The home offered activities including music, films, singing, arts and crafts, religious studies and dementia-focused sessions.
“The service offered a range of activities to support people's need for social interaction and stimulation” from the report
Medicines were not managed safely
seriousStaff continued giving one medicine after the prescriber had asked for it to stop. Records were also inaccurate or incomplete, and some people did not have clear instructions for covert medicines.
“Medicines were not always managed safely. We found several areas relating to medicines use that required improvement.” from the report
Checks had not prevented medicines problems
needs fixingThe home carried out medicines audits and other quality checks, but inspectors still found several medicines shortfalls. This contributed to the Requires Improvement well-led rating.
“However, improvement was required in some areas of medicines management.” from the report
- 01What has been changed since the inspection to make sure medicines are given exactly as prescribed?
- 02How are covert medicines administered now, and where are the written instructions kept?
- 03How do you check that medicine records, patch rotation and medicine storage temperatures are complete and accurate?
- 04How do you decide how many staff are needed on each shift for my relative's needs?
- 05What action plan did you send to the CQC, and how are you checking that the improvements have been maintained?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five key questions and infection prevention and control; the previous ratings were from the inspection published on 6 January 2018. This explanation was written from the published report of 25 April 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 2018
Oatlands Care Limited is rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care across all five areas.
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection on 22 November 2017. Inspectors spoke with people, relatives, staff and healthcare professionals. They reviewed care records, medicines records, staff files, complaints, safety information and quality checks. They also observed care.
The inspectors found that people were protected from harm, medicines were given safely and staffing levels met people's needs. Care plans reflected people's needs and preferences. Staff received training and support, and people had access to healthcare, food and activities.
People and relatives described staff as kind and respectful. Inspectors saw staff protecting privacy, dignity and independence. The home supported people's choices, cultural and religious needs, relationships and end-of-life wishes.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. The overall rating remained Good, the same as at the previous inspection on 9 November 2015.
Safe medicines
Inspectors found that medicines were given as prescribed, records were completed correctly and medicines were stored securely.
“Medicines were administered as prescribed. Records were correctly completed and medicines were stored in a safe way.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
Staff gave people reassurance and comfort, while respecting their privacy, dignity, independence and personal choices.
“Staff were kind and compassionate to people. They provided people with reassurance and comfort when needed, and treated them respectfully, maintaining their independence and dignity.” from the report
Personalised care
Care plans included people's health needs, preferences, routines, backgrounds and communication needs. People and relatives were involved in planning and reviews.
“People's care and support was personalised to their individual needs and focused on the things that were important to them.” from the report
Good management and checks
The provider regularly checked areas such as medicines, care planning, falls, nutrition and safety. Feedback from people, relatives, staff and healthcare professionals was positive.
“The provider's systems for assessing and monitoring the quality and safety of the service continued to be effective.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How will you assess and review my relative's care plan if their needs, medicines or health change?
- 02How do you decide staffing levels for each unit and adjust them when people's needs change?
- 03What activities are available, and how do you adapt them to each person's interests, abilities, culture and religion?
- 04How will you involve our family in care decisions and best-interest decisions if my relative cannot make a particular decision?
- 05How can we raise a complaint, and how will we be kept informed about the response?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering the overall quality of the care home and all five CQC questions. This explanation was written from the published report of 6 January 2018 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 Oatlands Care Limited
3 rated inspections over 7 years: the service has slipped, from Good to Requires improvement.
- April 2023Requires improvementcurrent ratingdown from GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- January 2018Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- December 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- August 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- November 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 10 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.
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