CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at 31 Oak Road
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found people were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. Staffing, risk management, medicines, infection control and learning from incidents were all described positively.
- Effective?
- Good
- This question was not assessed during this inspection. Its previous rating was carried forward.
- Caring?
- Good
- This question was not assessed during this inspection. Its previous rating was carried forward.
- Responsive?
- Good
- This question was not assessed during this inspection. Its previous rating was carried forward.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found visible and approachable management, a person-centred culture, regular involvement of families and people using the service, and good partnership working.
What inspectors found, December 2022
Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council - 31 Oak Road was rated Good; inspectors found people were safe, supported by enough staff and involved in their care.
This was an unannounced inspection. Inspectors visited the home on 29 November and 8 December 2022, spoke with all five people living there, four relatives and six staff, and checked care, medicines, recruitment and management records.
The home was rated Good overall. Safe and Well-led were both rated Good. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines systems, suitable infection control, accurate care records and staff who understood people's communication needs and risks.
This inspection looked at Safe and Well-led. The other three question ratings were not assessed during this visit and were carried forward from the previous inspection. The previous overall rating was also Good, published in December 2017.
Enough skilled staff
Staff numbers and skills matched people's needs, including support for activities and visits. Recruitment and induction processes promoted safety.
“The provider ensured the service had enough staff, including for one-to-one support for people to take part in activities and visits how and when they wanted.” from the report
Safe medicines support
Medicines were administered, recorded and stored safely. Staff supported people to make their own decisions about medicines where possible.
“Staff followed systems and processes to administer, record and store medicines safely.” from the report
People's choices and independence
Staff supported people to make decisions, use their communication methods and take part in activities and interests in the local area.
“Staff focused on people's strengths and promoted what they could do, so people had a fulfilling and meaningful everyday life.” from the report
Positive culture
Inspectors found that people's wishes, needs and rights were central to the service. Families and advocates were involved in care planning and service improvement.
“Staff placed people's wishes, needs and rights at the heart of everything they did.” from the report
Clean and suitable home
The home was described as safe, clean, well equipped and well maintained, with infection prevention measures in place.
“The provider ensured people received care and support in a safe, clean, well equipped, well-furnished and well-maintained environment that met their sensory and physical needs.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How will you assess and review my relative's specific risks and support needs?
- 02How will you support my relative to make choices about medicines and daily activities?
- 03How will you communicate with my relative in the ways that work best for them?
- 04How are families involved in reviewing care plans and suggesting improvements?
- 05What were the previous ratings for Effective, Caring and Responsive, and when will these areas next be reviewed?
This was a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led, including infection prevention and control; the other key question ratings were carried forward from the previous inspection published in 2017. This explanation was written from the published report of 30 December 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, December 2017
Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council - 31 Oak Road was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care with effective management checks.
Inspectors visited on 27 October 2017. The report describes this as an unannounced inspection, while the background section says short notice was given. They reviewed records, observed care, spoke with people, relatives, staff and professionals, and checked the home and its management systems.
The home supported six adults with learning disabilities, and all six places were occupied. Inspectors found safe medicines management, enough staff, suitable recruitment checks, personalised risk assessments and regular building safety checks.
People were supported by staff who knew them well. Inspectors found kind and respectful care, personalised support plans, help with health appointments, meals, hobbies and community activities. The home also had a complaints process and regular checks to monitor quality.
The overall rating was Good, with Good ratings for Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. This was unchanged from the previous inspection in October 2015.
Safe medicines and staffing
Inspectors found trained staff, regular checks of medicines competence and enough staff to provide individual support and community visits.
“Medicine administration records that we look at were completed correctly with no gaps or anomalies.” from the report
Kind relationships
Staff knew people well and treated them with patience, warmth and respect while encouraging independence.
“Staff were calm, kind and gentle in their interactions with people and supported them to remain independent whilst maintaining their safety and welfare.” from the report
Personalised support
Support plans included people's routines, preferences and ways to reduce anxiety. They were reviewed to keep them up to date.
“Support plans were reviewed on a regular basis to ensure they accurately reflected people's current support needs.” from the report
Activities and choice
People were supported to enjoy hobbies, social activities, holidays and trips into the community. They could also choose meals and access the kitchen.
“People were supported by staff with their hobbies and to have a full active social life.” from the report
Quality checks
The registered manager and provider used audits, meetings and surveys to monitor the service and gather views.
“Audits were carried out in areas including medicines, record keeping, support plans, health and safety and infection control.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are waking night staff and daytime staffing levels arranged now?
- 02How often are medicines records and staff competency checks reviewed?
- 03How are support plans updated when a person's needs, routines or anxiety triggers change?
- 04What activities, community visits and holidays are currently available for residents?
- 05How are people's Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards authorisations and any conditions kept under review?
This inspection covered all five key questions and included observations, discussions with people, relatives, staff and professionals, and reviews of care, medicines, staffing and management records. This explanation was written from the published report of 8 December 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.
Every inspection of 31 Oak Road
3 rated inspections over 7 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- December 2022Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- December 2017Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodWell-led: Good
- December 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- October 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- May 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- March 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 11 March 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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45 live-in carers within about an hour of Stockton-on-Tees
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 £980 to £1,190 a week. 40 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
“I found Alison to be kind , caring helpful concencious... Alison has a heart of gold”
“Petty introduced herself to Mum every time she was caring for her and responded very quickly to Mum if she was distressed in the night.”
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.