This was an unannounced inspection carried out on 23 May 2017. The service was previously inspected by the Care Quality Commission in December 2014 when it met all legal requirements and was rated Good.

Oakwood Lodge provides residential care and accommodation for seven adults with mental health support needs. At the time of the inspection, there were six people living at the service. The service has a garden and an outdoor building that is used for meetings, games and exercise.

The service had a registered manager in post. 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.

The provider had measures in place to ensure the environment was suitable and safe for people using the service.

People were safe at the service and were cared for by staff who were knowledgeable about safeguarding people. Staff knew how to report any concerns of abuse.

Medicines were managed safely by staff who were trained and assessed as competent. People received their medicines at the required times and in the way they had been prescribed.

Risks to people had been assessed and there was guidance in place on how to manage them safely. We made a recommendation about updating people’s evacuation plans to ensure correct procedures are followed by staff in the event of a fire.

There were sufficient staff available to meet people's needs. Staff received training in relevant areas to ensure they had the skills to meet people's needs and provide safe care.

People's consent was sought where appropriate. Staff had received Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) training and understood the systems in place to protect people who could not make independent decisions. The provider followed the legal requirements outlined in the MCA and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

There was a safe recruitment process and suitable staff were recruited to keep people safe.

People were supported with their finances, although we made a recommendation about ensuring records and audits were more robust.

Staff were caring, interacted well with people and respected their privacy and dignity. They promoted people’s independence.

People’s records reflected their current health needs. People were supported by staff with appointments to meet with healthcare professionals. They were able to express their views and to make decisions about their care.

People were supported to have a nutritious and balanced diet. Their health and wellbeing was promoted and they were able to plan menus for their meals.

People’s care plans were personalised and contained information about aspects of their life. People were encouraged to take part in household chores and leisure activities.

There was a complaints procedure in place. Staff were able to support people if they wished to complain. Relatives knew how to make a complaint and were kept up to date by staff with any concerns. Staff, people and relatives told us the management team were supportive and friendly.

Systems were in place to evaluate and monitor the quality of the service. The management team demonstrated an understanding of their role and responsibilities. The registered manager supported a new manager and a plan was in place for the new manager to succeed their role.

We carried out an inspection of Oakwood Lodge on 3 December 2014 and the inspection was unannounced.

The last inspection took place on 16 August 2013 and found Oakwood Lodge was meeting the regulations in relation to outcomes we inspected.

Oakwood Lodge is a privately owned residential care home situated in Ilford. It is registered to provide 24 hour care and accommodation for seven adults with mental health support needs. At the time of the unannounced inspection there were seven people living at the service. The service has a garden and an out building that is used for meetings, as a games room and also a gym.

A registered manager was in post. 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.

The home had comprehensive policies and procedures in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. The DOLS safeguards are there to make sure that people in care homes, hospitals and supported living are looked after in a way that does not inappropriately restrict their freedom. Services should only deprive someone of their liberty when it is in the best interests of the person and there is no other way to look after them, and it should be done in a safe and correct way.

We looked at records which indicated that people’s lives had been documented and included their preferences regarding different aspects of their lives and what expectations they have of staff at Oakwood Lodge. We saw that people had been consulted with regards to their care plan documentation.

We observed staff interacting with people in a calm, professional and respectful manner. Staff encouraged people to make choices and express their views regarding all aspects of their lives.

The manager was available for all staff and people who used Oakwood Lodge to discuss their concerns and encouraged positive relationships.

We found the service was effectively supporting those who lived there. One person we spoke to who lived there said that ‘I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else’. We found that people were free to express their likes and dislikes and could make choices about how their care was delivered. People who use the service were encouraged to participate in all aspects of their care.

People were encouraged to access the community and be as independent as possible, whilst maintaining their safety at all times.

Staff received regular training in moving and handling, infection control, health and safety, food hygiene, the management of medicines and safeguarding in order to carry out their role effectively. We found staff were supported by the manager through the supervision and appraisal process.

The manager carried out extensive audits of the service provision on a weekly, monthly, six monthly and yearly basis. Quality assurance questionnaires were provided to people who use the service, their relatives and other external health care professionals to gather feedback on the quality of the service.

We found the service followed a person centred approach ensuring that the delivery of care was tailored to the needs of the individual and personalised.

The provider had ensured people who used the service received safe and effective care. Staff had assessed people's needs and developed a care plan which they had signed their agreement to. People said that staff understood them. One person said 'they are helping me with my anger management.' Staff had worked with health professionals to ensure people's rights were respected and they received appropriate care and support. People who used the service lived in a suitable building which the provider had ensured was safe and well maintained. A person said 'I like it here - my room is nice and I can watch television downstairs.' The provider had checked the suitability of staff and ensured they understood the organisation's policies and procedures. We observed that staff communicated well with people and understood their individual needs.

Oakwood Lodge had six residents at the time of our inspection. We spoke to five of them and received positive comments about the home and the staff. People told us that Oakwood Lodge is a ‘quiet and pleasant place’ and that they were able to choose from a range of different leisure activities every day. People we spoke with were happy with the care and support they had received at the home.

People using the service were very positive about their experiences at Oakwood Lodge. Some of their comments included:

“The staff are great and the house is wonderful and peaceful”.

“I do not wish to go away from here because I am happy here”.

“The staff are very good. They took me on holiday this year to Somerset. The manager brought in brochures for us to choose our holiday”.

“The home is very nice. They treat you with respect and make you feel at home”.

“We do chores in the home which we enjoy. We all have different tasks and different activities”.

“We do exercises developed by our GP which are supposed to help us with our arthritis”.

We saw from comments made by professionals that they too were positive about the service. One professional said, “I am always made to feel very welcome when I visit residents and have been made to feel one of the family. I enjoy the interactions with and between residents, staff and visitors”.

We also looked at the comments that relatives made about the service and found that it ranged between excellent and very good.