Oakfield Lodge improved from Requires Improvement to Good across all five key questions, demonstrating sustained progress since its previous inspection in 2020. The service provided safe, person-centred care with strong staff recruitment, good medicines management and effective partnership working, with only minor areas for improvement around care plan review frequency, supervision regularity and consent recording.
Concerns (7)
minor
Care planning
: “care plan reviews with social workers were not always as regular as they should be”
minorMedication management: “not all people had protocols for medicines which was prescribed to be taken as and when needed”
minorSupervision / appraisal: “There were some instances where staff had not received supervision as regularly as outlined in policy.”
minorStaff training: “Some training topics for some staff required refreshing. The registered manager was aware of this, they had an action plan around this.”
minorConsent / capacity: “due to a change of social services database software...consent was not always recorded in a meaningful way”
minorRecord keeping: “We found a minor accounting error due to the administration staff taking short term leave and no one picking up their tasks.”
minorGovernance: “The service had not been holding regular face to face staff meetings since the pandemic.”
Strengths
· Staff were recruited safely with DBS checks, references, employment histories and interviews completed before starting employment.
· Medicines were managed safely with MAR audits, staff competency checks via observation, and timely administration confirmed by people.
· People and relatives were highly complimentary about staff and management, describing them as caring, empathetic and responsive.
· The service promoted a positive, person-centred culture with open-door policy, annual surveys and active engagement with people and relatives.
· The service worked effectively with a wide range of external agencies including GPs, district nurses, social workers and pharmacists.
Quality-Statement breakdown (24)
safe: Systems and processes to safeguard people from the risk of abuseGood
safe: Assessing risk, safety monitoring and managementGood
safe: Staffing and recruitmentGood
safe: Managing medicines safelyGood
safe: Preventing and controlling infectionGood
safe: Learning lessons when things go wrongGood
effective: Assessing people's needs and choices; delivering care in line with standards, guidance and the lawGood
effective: Staff support: induction, training, skills and experienceGood
effective: Supporting people to live healthier lives, access healthcare services and supportGood
effective: Supporting people to eat and drink enough to maintain a balanced dietGood
effective: Ensuring consent to care and treatment in line with law and guidanceGood
caring: Ensuring people are well treated and supported; respecting equality and diversityGood
caring: Supporting people to express their views and be involved in making decisions about their careGood
caring: Respecting and promoting people's privacy, dignity and independenceGood
responsive: Planning personalised care to ensure people have choice and control and to meet their needs and preferencesGood
responsive: Meeting people's communication needsGood
responsive: Supporting people to develop and maintain relationships to avoid social isolationGood
responsive: Improving care quality in response to complaints or concernsGood
responsive: End of life care and supportGood
well-led: Promoting a positive culture that is person-centred, open, inclusive and empoweringGood
well-led: Managers and staff being clear about their roles, and understanding quality performance, risks and regulatory requirementsGood
well-led: How the provider understands and acts on the duty of candourGood
well-led: Engaging and involving people using the service, the public and staffGood
Targeted IPC inspection of Oakfield Lodge extra care service found assurance across all eight infection prevention and control areas, with effective visitor screening, staff testing, PPE use and contingency planning. The service was inspected but not rated.
Strengths
· Robust visitor safety measures including required negative LFT results and provision of PPE for visitors
· Regular staff COVID-19 testing with only negative-testing staff permitted to work
· Sufficient staffing levels with absences covered by existing staff and contingency planning in place
· Up-to-date infection control policies, procedures and risk assessments aligned with government guidance
· All staff, including agency staff, trained in infection control and correct use of PPE
Quality-Statement breakdown (9)
safe: Staffing - measures in place to mitigate COVID-19 related staff pressuresNot rated
safe: Preventing visitors from catching and spreading infectionsNot rated
safe: Meeting shielding and social distancing rulesNot rated
safe: Admitting people safely to the serviceNot rated
safe: Using PPE effectively and safelyNot rated
safe: Accessing testing for people using the service and staffNot rated
safe: Promoting safety through the layout and hygiene practices of the premisesNot rated
safe: Making sure infection outbreaks can be effectively prevented or managedNot rated
safe: Infection prevention and control policy was up to dateNot rated