Oakwood Court

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

Responsive – this means we looked for evidence that the service met people’s needs. At our last inspection we rated this key question good. At this inspection the rating has remained good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The service made sure people were at the centre of their care and treatment choices and they decided, in partnership with people, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs. Personalised care was planned around people’s preferences. Where people were unable to verbally communicate their needs, staff watched their facial expressions and body language and reviewed their support. A staff member said, “I always speak to the residents and their families we do care plan reviews; I go to the resident themselves and check in to see they are happy with the care and have a personal conversation about the care and see how we can improve out service to them and anything they may want to change.” Staff clearly described what was important to individuals and demonstrated how they met their needs.

The service understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity. People had opportunities to practice their faith as they wished, church services were held within the service. The wider community was welcomed to the service, staff and management ensured events were relevant to the people who lived at Oakwood Court. A relative told us, “There are events going on, pretty much something going on a couple of times a day. Might be something like exercises in the morning and bingo in the afternoon. They had children visiting, the local play group there. They have had animals there including sheep, all sorts of things happening. They have a bric-a-brac and tea coming up.”

The service supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs. People's communication needs were detailed in their care plans to inform staff of their preferred method of communication. The management team described how the service met the Accessible Information Standards, documents were available in larger print formats, the activity schedule and menus were pictorial to assist people to make choices. Newsletters were produced so people and their relatives could look back on what activities they had participated in and be provided with information about the service and upcoming events.

The service made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. They involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result. A person told us, “I can’t think of an incident where I've needed to complain. If I needed to complain I would feel comfortable going to [registered manager] and I know they would deal with a complaint in a good timeframe.” The registered manager investigated and responded to any complaints in a timely way and shared lessons learned with the wider staffing team. People were involved in the service, for example, a ‘taste the difference challenge’ was presented to introduce decaffeinated hot drinks at night to naturally aid people’s sleep and reduce potential continence needs. The trial was analysed and agreed decaffeinated drinks would be offered but an individualised approach would be taken.

The service made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it. People were registered with GP surgeries and were supported to access healthcare. Health and social care professionals visited people at the service when they were unable to attend outpatient appointments. A healthcare professional told us, “Generally, I find that staff and management are responsive. Referrals and communications are made in a timely manner, which facilitates a collaborative approach to care.” Adaptations had been made in the service, such as, passenger lifts and handrails so people could access all safe areas of the building and grounds.

Staff and leaders actively listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes and tailored their care, support and treatment in response to this. People’s human rights were protected and staff supported them to overcome barriers to care. Staff and the management team advocated for people to make sure they had equal access to medical professional advice. Staff and the management team had a zero tolerance to discrimination against people or other staff. Care records were completed to ensure people with protected characteristics were respected. For example, people’s preferred gender identity and pronouns were documented.

People were supported to plan for important life changes, so they could have enough time to make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life. Staff had received training on how to support people when at the end of their lives. Staff referred to relevant professionals to ensure the right medicine and equipment was available. People were encouraged to plan for their future care and when needed, their loved ones were consulted. A relative told us, “We have been kept well informed we're kept up to date with everything, for example, medical appointments, the doctors visit regularly and we are aware of any changes. We did a lot of work around her funeral plans and arrangements as we didn't think she had very long. The staff were really helpful with all of that.”