CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Omega Oak Barn
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found that people were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. Risk assessments, staffing, medicines, safety checks and infection prevention were managed safely.
- Effective?
- Good
- Staff had the training, skills and support needed to provide care. People received support with food, drinks, healthcare and making their own choices.
- Caring?
- Good
- People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect. Staff knew people's needs and supported independence and involvement in decisions.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans were personalised and people were involved in creating and reviewing them. The home offered varied activities, accessible information and a complaints process.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found person-centred leadership, regular audits and checks, staff involvement and a culture of learning and improvement.
What inspectors found, January 2022
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care with strong management.
This was an unannounced planned inspection on 07 December 2021 and 09 December 2021. One inspector and an Expert by Experience spoke with 10 people, three relatives and 11 staff. They reviewed care records, medicines records, staff files, training information, menus, meetings, audits and other management records.
The home was providing personal and nursing care for 26 people aged 65 and over, with places for up to 28 people. Inspectors found systems to protect people from abuse, safe medicines management, suitable staffing, completed safety checks and good infection prevention measures.
People were treated with dignity and respect. Their care was personalised, they were involved in decisions, and they had access to varied food, healthcare and activities. The home had recently been renovated and inspectors found an open, inclusive culture with regular checks and learning.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. This was the first inspection under the current provider. The previous provider's rating was Good, published on 3 June 2016.
Safe care and medicines
The home had systems to protect people from abuse and harm. Medicines were administered safely, with electronic records and regular checks of staff competency.
“Medicines were managed and administered safely.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
People and relatives described staff as caring and patient. Inspectors observed kind and positive interactions and found that people were treated with dignity.
“People were treated with kindness and were positive about the staff's caring attitude.” from the report
Personalised care
People were involved in making and reviewing their care plans. Staff supported people's choices, communication needs and independence.
“People received personalised care planning with a focus to make sure people made their own decisions and were in control of their care.” from the report
Activities and social contact
The home offered a wide range of activities to help people remain active, follow their interests and avoid social isolation.
“There was a wide variety of activities available for people to participate in.” from the report
Strong oversight
The manager and provider carried out audits, spot checks and reviews. People, relatives and staff were asked for their views and staff felt able to raise issues.
“The registered manager and provider completed regular audits, spot checks and engaged with people.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How will you assess and review my relative's individual risks and care needs after they move in?
- 02How will my relative and our family be involved in creating and reviewing the care plan?
- 03How do you record and check medicines, including creams and ointments?
- 04What activities would match my relative's interests, communication needs and independence?
- 05How can we raise a complaint, and how will you keep us informed about the response?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five CQC areas, and it was the first inspection under the current provider. This explanation was written from the published report of 18 January 2022 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, March 2021
Inspected but not rated; inspectors found strong infection control measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Inspectors visited the home on 24 February 2021. This was an announced, targeted inspection focused on infection prevention and control during the coronavirus pandemic.
They found systems for visitors to use hand sanitiser and PPE, answer screening questions and have their temperature checked. The home had adapted its conservatory for screened visits.
Staff followed infection control procedures and had training, suitable PPE and regular COVID-19 testing. Inspectors were also assured that the home had plans to prevent and manage outbreaks.
The home was inspected but not rated. This means the visit did not give an overall quality rating or a full rating across all five areas.
Visitor safety
The home had clear arrangements for visitors, including screening, temperature checks, hand sanitising and PPE. Visits took place in an adapted conservatory.
“The conservatory had been adapted to accommodate screened visits, in line with current guidance.” from the report
Infection control
Staff followed clear infection prevention procedures and had training in safe practice. Appropriate PPE was available throughout the home.
“Infection prevention and control (IPC) procedures were clear and followed by staff.” from the report
Testing and outbreak planning
Regular COVID-19 testing was in place for staff and residents. The home had plans for responding to an infection outbreak.
“A regular programme of testing for COVID-19 was in place for staff and people who lived in the service.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How have your infection prevention and control arrangements changed since the inspection on 24 February 2021?
- 02How often are staff and residents tested for infections now?
- 03How do you manage visits, including screening, PPE and visiting arrangements?
- 04What is your current plan if there is an infection outbreak?
- 05Can you provide information about care quality, staffing, activities and management, which this targeted inspection did not assess?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control during the coronavirus pandemic; the service was inspected but not rated and the other areas were not assessed. This explanation was written from the published report of 5 March 2021 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 Omega Oak Barn
3 rated inspections over 7 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- January 2022Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2021Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- July 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2016Inspected but not ratedEffective: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- July 2015Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- April 2019
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 2 April 2019.
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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28 live-in carers within about an hour of North Yorkshire
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 £1,010 to £1,290 a week. 27 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“Carla has been a god send with the implementation of bringing mum back home from respite care.”
“She was always 'just present enough': attentive, available, kind and engaging, but without ever over-stepping any boundary”
Every carer has had an enhanced DBS check in the last 18 months, ID and right-to-work checks and an online interview. Their skills and training are for you to check with them. Carers set their own rates, and who is free changes week to week.