This was an unannounced inspection which took place over two days on the 5 and 6 April 2017. Oakhaven provides accommodation and personal care for up to 27 older people. At the time of our inspection 21 people were living there, seven of whom had been diagnosed as living with dementia. Accommodation can be provided for people who wish to live together. People have access to two lounge areas, a dining room, 18 of the bedrooms have en-suites, and three bathrooms. The grounds around the home are well presented and accessible to all people.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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.

At our last inspection on 9 April 2015 this service was rated as Good overall.

People received an exceptionally high standard of care and personal support. The ethos of Oakhaven to provide “the very best care and opportunities” for people was embedded into the daily lives of people and the practice of staff. People’s care and support was highly individualised. Their wishes and preferences had been discussed with them and those important to them. Their care records reflected these and were kept up to date with their changing needs. When they had accidents, incidents or their needs changed, staff were extremely responsive working closely with a range of health care professionals to keep them safe and make sure they had access to the support and equipment they needed. People’s health and wellbeing was paramount. Their medicines were administered safely and their nutritional needs were taken into account to make sure they were as well as they could be.

People had talked about their end of life wishes and staff showed compassion, understanding and empathy for people and their relatives. When needed, staff worked closely with health care professionals to make sure people had a peaceful and pain free experience. People’s final wishes were respected and staff remained with people and those important to them offering support and sympathy if this is what they wanted.

People benefitted from staff who had access to a comprehensive programme of training tailored to their individual needs. The training manager delivered training which reflected people’s conditions and related the theory to the practical support and care they required. This meant staff could really understand and visualise how their new knowledge could be put into practice. This had not only improved the support provided to people living with dementia but also resulted in a life-saving response to a person who had sepsis. The management team valued staff by supporting them to develop in their roles, nurturing and mentoring them as well as giving praise and encouragement.

People enjoyed a range of meaningful activities based on their interests and hobbies. They were invited to join pre lunch balloon exercises to music most days. Activities offered included Tai Chi classes, music recitals, trips out, a “knit and natter” group, board games and quizzes. Special events were held throughout the year to which family and friends were invited. A wish tree had been filled with requests for gifts or activities by people. One of which included a swim for a person celebrating their 100th birthday. Children from local schools and colleges entertained people with music or spent time helping them. People attended local places of worship and a Chaplain held communion in the home as well as offering a 24 hour pastoral service. Visitors commented, “Lovely to see Mum downstairs enjoying herself” and “You made our stay a stimulating one”.

People’s views and opinions were sought to help to improve the quality of the service. Their feedback to surveys, at reviews of their care

There were 24 people living in the home at the time of our inspection. During our visit to the home we spoke with 12 people and eight staff. We also made our own observations throughout the visit.

People who lived in the home were positive about the service and said they were treated with dignity and respect. Each person commented they were happy living in Oakhaven. People said they could talk to staff to make changes to their care and that staff treated them as individuals.

People told us they had good relationships with the staff and were able to talk to staff if they had any worries or concerns. Staff were able to tell us what action they would take if they saw anything which might affect the well-being of the person using the service.

The records held by the service were complete, well set out and kept up to date. This helped and supported staff to maintain the comfort and well-being of people using the service.

Systems were in place for monitoring the service and collecting people's views on the quality of the care they received. The registered manager and the owner were regularly in the home and people's views were surveyed through annual questionnaires. The summaries of the survey were published so people could read the actions taken by the home to make changes or improvements to the service.

Having assessed the available evidence, we considered the service demonstrated how it met the safety and care needs of the people living in the home.

We spoke with seven people living in the home. They were all very positive about the quality of the care provided and the supportive and "friendly" staff.

Individuals made a number of comments to us about the care they receive and about living at Oakhaven Residential Care Home.

"This home is very nice and comfortable, they do their best to make it like home", "the food is gorgeous".

"The staff are all very friendly and kind", "good staff".

"Food and entertainment are the best things here".

"I give the home 100%".

We spoke with a relative who was very satisfied with the care that her relative received in the home. They told us: "staff are always approachable and keep me informed", "its very homely and they always make me feel welcome", "I would highly recommend this home".

Two district nurses we spoke with told us: "they are doing such good care", "we have a good relationship with the home", " we are very happy with the level of care".

This was an unannounced inspection which took place over two days on the 9 and 10 April 2015. Oakhaven Residential Care Home provides care for 27. Accommodation can be provided for people who wish to live together. People have access to two lounge areas, a dining room, 16 of the bedrooms have en-suites, and three bathrooms. The grounds around the home are well presented and accessible to all people. At the time of our inspection 23 people were living there. There were seven people living in the home who had been diagnosed as living with dementia.

The home has two registered managers one of whom is also the owner. 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 vision and values of Oakhaven were embedded in the way it was managed and how staff worked. Striving to be “the best that it can in all respects” Oakhaven provided individualised care and support which reflected people’s preferences, wishes and future needs. A commitment to enhance people’s quality of life and to value people’s experiences to make improvements were paramount. Visiting professionals and external organisations commended them on their good practice and their goal to provide high quality care. People, relatives and visitors commented on their positive experiences of care and support and were confident even the smallest concerns would be listened to and acted upon.

People were fully involved in the planning of their care from their initial visits through to planning for the end of their lives. Care and support focussed on each person’s individual needs, their likes, dislikes and routines important to them. Where people were unable to consent to their care or support best interests meetings were held with people important to them. When people’s needs changed staff reacted promptly involving other social and health care professionals if needed. Wherever possible people’s independence was encouraged from directing staff with their eyes to choose their clothes for the day to joining a local gym.

People’s health, well-being and safety were paramount. They were supported by staff with an excellent understanding of their needs and access to robust training and personal development. Staff were equipped with the skills and knowledge to support people when unwell or to reduce risks to their safety. People were supported with compassion, concern and care. Visitors commented, “Staff work well as a team, they work in the same direction with the resident at the centre” and “They take my breath away, nothing is too much trouble”.

Where people had specific care needs or conditions guidance was provided for staff about the care and support they needed. If equipment was needed this was put in place or advice was sought from social or health care professionals. People who wished to manage their medicines were supported to do so, otherwise robust systems were in place to help people to take their medicines safely.

A range of activities were organised based on people’s choices such as trips out to the countryside, music and movement, gardening or pamper sessions. Visitors joined relatives or friends for activities, meals or social events. People chose the meals they wished to eat and decided where to eat them. Special diets were available for people at risk of losing weight or who were at risk of choking. Staff supported people with their meals.

People’s feedback was a vital part of the quality assurance system either through annual surveys, residents’ meetings, complaints or reviews. They were listened to and action was taken to make improvements to their quality of life. The registered managers monitored and audited the quality of care provided striving to meet the ever changing needs of people living in the home. Contact with local and national organisations kept them in touch with best practice so they could keep “abreast of the changing face of social care”.