CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at The Oaks Care Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Safe was not inspected during this visit. The Good rating came from a focused inspection in August 2020, and the report says no areas of concern had been identified since then.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs and choices were assessed, staff were trained and supported, and people's health, nutrition and hydration needs were monitored. Some staff still needed to complete missed or updating training, with sessions booked.
- Caring?
- Good
- People and relatives described kind care. Inspectors observed respectful interactions, privacy and dignity being maintained, and people being offered choices about their care.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans were personalised and regularly reviewed. People were supported with communication, activities, complaints, family contact and end of life wishes.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Well-led was not inspected during this visit. The Good rating came from the focused inspection in August 2020.
What inspectors found, June 2021
Rated Good; inspectors found kind, personalised care, but some staff training still needed updating.
Inspectors visited the home on 20 May 2021. They spoke with 10 people living there, a relative, staff and managers. They reviewed four people's care records, daily notes and monitoring charts, as well as information already held by the CQC.
The inspectors found that people were treated with kindness, dignity and respect. Care plans reflected people's wishes and life histories. People had choices about meals, daily routines and activities, and were supported to keep in touch with relatives. Their health, nutrition and hydration needs were being monitored.
This was a focused inspection of Effective, Caring and Responsive. These areas were rated Good. Safe and Well-led were not inspected this time, but their previous Good ratings from August 2020 were used in the overall Good rating.
Kind and respectful care
People said staff knew them well and treated them with kindness, dignity and respect. Inspectors also saw positive and comfortable interactions.
“People told us they received kind, compassionate care from staff who knew them well and treated them with respect.” from the report
Personalised care plans
Care plans included people's life histories, likes and dislikes. They were reviewed monthly to keep them relevant to people's changing needs.
“People received care which was personalised and based around their needs and wishes.” from the report
Choice and involvement
People could choose when to get up and go to bed, where to eat and which activities to take part in. Meetings and a notice board were used to show how feedback led to action.
“People received care in line with their wishes and confirmed they were offered choice.” from the report
Food and health support
People were offered meal choices and staff monitored food and fluid intake. The home helped people access doctors and other health professionals when needed.
“People's nutritional and hydration needs had been assessed and documented.” from the report
Some training was overdue
needs fixingThe training records showed that some staff had missed training or needed updates. The home had booked face-to-face sessions to address this.
“The training matrix showed some staff needed to complete sessions they had missed or required updating.” from the report
End of life training
needs fixingStaff did not yet have specific end of life training. The home planned training for a manager through the local hospice, which was then to be shared with care staff.
“Staff told us they did not currently complete any specific end of life training, instead followed guidance and advice from district nurses.” from the report
- 01Which staff training was missed or out of date at the inspection, and has it now been completed?
- 02What specific end of life training have staff completed since the inspection?
- 03How are people's changing needs recorded while the home moves from paper care plans to its electronic system?
- 04How does the home check that people's food and fluid intake remains sufficient?
- 05How are people's views and requests followed up through resident meetings and the 'You said, we did' board?
This was a focused inspection of Effective, Caring and Responsive; Safe and Well-led were not inspected and their Good ratings carried over from August 2020. This explanation was written from the published report of 10 June 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.
What inspectors found, August 2020
The Oaks Care Home was inspected but not rated overall; inspectors rated Safe and Well-led Good and found no shortfalls in those areas.
This was a focused inspection after concerns were raised about medicines, moving and handling, the building, infection control, confidentiality, management and staff culture. The inspection took place from 29 July to 4 August 2020. Inspectors visited once and also used telephone calls, emails and records.
Inspectors spoke with three people living at the home, five relatives and five staff members. They reviewed care records, medicines records, recruitment files and other management records.
The Safe and Well-led questions were both rated Good. Inspectors found safe medicines management, enough staff, suitable infection control measures, well-maintained premises and good systems for managing risks. They also found positive feedback about the management and staff culture.
The home was not given an overall rating because this inspection only looked at Safe and Well-led. The other three questions were not inspected, although the report says no concerns were identified in the information held about them.
Safe medicines practice
Medicines records were completed accurately. Staff had training and competency checks, and medicines were stored securely.
“Medication administration records (MARs) were completed accurately with no missing signatures.” from the report
Enough trained staff
Inspectors found enough staff to care for people safely. Recruitment checks and moving and handling assessments were in place.
“There were enough staff working at the home to care for people safely and a dependency tool used to determine overall staffing levels.” from the report
Infection control
The home was clean and tidy. Staff used appropriate protective equipment and had received extra COVID-19 training.
“Care staff wore correct personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, aprons and a face mask when delivering care.” from the report
Positive leadership
People, relatives and staff gave positive feedback about management. Staff described good teamwork and a positive culture.
“Staff told us there was a positive culture at the home, with good team work throughout.” from the report
Quality monitoring
The home used audits, feedback, meetings and an improvement plan to monitor and develop the service.
“A range of governance systems and audits were in place to monitor the quality of service effectively.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01What progress has been made with the full refurbishment programme since the inspection?
- 02How are medicines records and staff competency checks reviewed now?
- 03How is the dependency tool used to make sure staffing levels remain enough for people's needs?
- 04How do residents and relatives give feedback, and what changes have been made as a result?
- 05What arrangements are currently used to manage infection control and staff use of PPE?
This was a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led only; Effective, Caring and Responsive were not inspected and no overall rating was given. This explanation was written from the published report of 27 August 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 The Oaks Care Home
Each visit the CQC has published, newest first, back to the day the home was registered.
- June 2021Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- August 2020Inspected but not rated
- May 2019
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 17 May 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.
Weigh the report against the rest
Fees, photos and reviews from families
How to read CQC ratings and reports
What to check when you visit
At least 100 live-in carers within about an hour of Wigan
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 £1,260 a week. 92 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.
“Primrose is a very kind and compassionate healthcare professional”
“He developed a close affinity with Terence, spending time talking with him before he retired to bed and looking after his needs during 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.