We inspected Oaklands Court on 16th and 17th June 2016. This was an unannounced inspection. The service provides accommodation and support for up to 44 people. The service provides nursing care for older people. At the time of inspection there were 44 people living at the service. The service provides en-suite rooms over two floors and has two lifts. There is one large communal lounge and dining room, one small communal lounge, kitchen, laundry, one manager office and one nurse/staff office.

There was an acting manager in post who had applied for registration with the CQC. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Medicines to be taken as required were not personalised to the individual persons need. The provider had ensured that medicines were stored safely at all times. Medicine administration records were kept up to date by staff. Only staff that were trained to administer medicines did so.

People were protected against abuse and harm. Staff were trained to identify the types of abuse and knew who to report to if they had any concerns. Staff were aware of the policies and procedures regarding abuse.

The service appeared clean and tidy and there were cleaning charts in place to ensure that all areas were cleaned. The provider had ensured that the premises was safe for use and had up to date certificates of safety.

There was sufficient staff to provide care to people throughout the day and night. When staff were recruited they were subject to checks to ensure they were safe to work in the care sector.

People’s needs had been assessed and detailed care plans developed. Care plans contained appropriate risk assessments that specific to the person’s need.

The principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) were adhered to. People were being assessed appropriately and best interests meetings took place to identify the least restrictive methods of keeping people safe. Staff had training on MCA and had good knowledge.

The CQC is required by law to monitor the operation of Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which applies to care homes. Appropriate applications to restrict people’s freedom had been submitted and the least restrictive options were considered as per the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

People were supported to have a healthy and nutritious diet. People could choose what they wanted to eat from a set menu or ask for an alternative meal. The provider had ensured that people who required additional support with eating were appropriately assessed.

People were being referred to health professionals in a timely manner. When staff identified that person had a change in need they would inform a nurse who would make appropriate referrals to other health professionals if required. Staff received training that gave them the skills and knowledge required to support people.

People and their relatives told us they were involved in the planning of their care. Care plans were being reviewed on a monthly basis by staff. The provider had insured that people and relatives had ways of communicating their wishes before reviews.

People told us they were very happy with the care staff and the support they provided. Relatives told us they were happy with the service their loved ones received. Staff communicated with people in ways that were understood when giving support. Staff and the manager had got to know people well. Staff could build positive relationships with people to fully understand their needs.

Staff respected people’s privacy and dignity at all the times. The provider had ensured that people’s personal information was stored securely and access only given to those that needed it. People had freedom of choice at the service. Peo

During our visit we spoke with five people who used the service and two relatives visiting. We spoke with six members of staff; these were the registered manager, two registered nurses, a health care assistant and chef. We also looked at surveys and meeting minutes to help us understand the views of the people who used the service.

The people we spoke with told us they were happy with the care they received. They also told us they were happy living in Oaklands Court. One person who used the service told us “I am looked after very well”. Another person we spoke with told us “I like it here, we do so many different activities”.

Staff we spoke with were happy in the roles and felt fully supported by their manager.One member of staff told us “this is a great place to work and it always has a friendly atmosphere”.

We looked at care plans and staff records and observed levels of staff. We saw the service had enough experienced and skilled staff to meet the people’s needs.

Residents that we spoke with said they received treatment and care from well trained, polite and knowledgeable staff in clean, comfortable and safe surroundings. We were told that the staff focus was on patient comfort and great care was taken to respect people's privacy and dignity at all stages of their treatment and care.

During our visit we talked to staff, relatives and five residents who said the home had supported people to be independent wherever possible. Residents told us they had felt involved about how they wished to have care and support delivered and were given clear information on a daily basis regarding their care and treatment. They told us their preferences were always accommodated and they described a relationship of trust with staff and felt they were being listened to. One person said “this is such a nice home and everyone works hard to look after the residents and also the relatives”.

A relative that we spoke with stated that staff were gentle and made every effort to involve the family with their relative’s care. Everyone that we spoke to said that they found staff kind, caring and very respectful. Residents told us that they felt safe living at the home and that they would speak to any member of staff if they had any concerns or complaints. They said that if they had reason to speak to someone they had confidence that their concerns would be addressed immediately.