Oaks Residential Care Home now rated 'good' by CQC

The Oaks Residential Care Home in Great Bentley has been rated good by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following its latest report.

It was given the rating in the effective, caring, responsive, and well-led categories.

The safe category still requires improvement, according to the watchdog.

The care home provides care in an adapted building which can accommodate up to 30 residents aged 65 and over, including people living with dementia.

Site - another image of The Oaks Residential Care Home (Image: Google)

In February last year, a previous report said staff "had not been provided with training they needed to meet the specific needs of people using the service", which " could have serious consequences to their health and put them at risk of avoidable harm".

The report also said the premises were "unclean and hygienic”.

However, following the latest CQC assessment, the care home has made “significant improvements” and is no longer in breach of certain regulations.

Staff have treated “people with kindness and respected their privacy and dignity”, and have said they feel “supported and valued”, able to raise concerns that they feel will be acted on.

All relatives considered their family members to be safe and well looked after and that systems to protect people from the risk of poor care and abuse have improved.

Managers and staff are aware of people’s protected characteristics and knew how to tailor their care and support to meet their individual needs.

For the safe category, according to the inspectors, “managing risk” is still not always seen as a priority by the care home.

The report said: “Where people communicated resistance to care through agitation or distress, staff lacked knowledge and guidance on how to support them to manage their anxieties in a positive way.

“Improvements had been made to the process of reporting and managing safeguarding concerns, but further staff training was needed to ensure they knew how to report concerns outside of the organisation.”

To read the full report, visit cqc.org.uk/location/1-130738048/reports/AP1788/overall.

A spokesman for The Oaks has commented on the report.

They said: “Staff and management have worked extremely hard for this result, and we are delighted that all the hard work has been recognised and acknowledged in the most recent report.

"Moving up two levels in CQC rankings is rare and demonstrates the commitment, dedication, and achievement of the whole team. 

"One of the items which contributed to the safety score was identified and attended to immediately during the inspection, the other item has also been fully rectified.

"We are extremely grateful for the support from our local community, the local GP practice, to wider healthcare professionals, and to the residents and their families who have all contributed to making the Home successful. 

"We are proud to have a stable workforce at the Home who share our values and commitment to delivering exceptional care and experiences for our residents and their families.

"Staff morale has been further boosted by a significant increase in referrals and interest following the most recent report, for which we are incredibly grateful. 

"Moving forward, we are proceeding with the further development and enhancement of the Home.

"This includes the construction of a brand-new wing of rooms which will meet the anticipated growing care needs and expectations of the future.”