This inspection took place on the 30 March 2017 and was unannounced. The service is registered to provide accommodation with personal care and treatment for up to 29 older persons mostly with dementia and palliative care needs. At the time of inspection there were 27 people in residence being supported and cared for. At the last inspection in February 2015, the service was rated ‘Good’ and at this inspection we found the service remained a ‘Good’ service.

The service had a registered manager. 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.

People continued to receive safe care. Staff were appropriately recruited and there were enough members of staff to provide care and support so that people felt safe in the home. Staffing levels were kept under review to ensure that people’s needs were met in timely way.

People were consistently protected from the risks of harm. Staff understood their responsibilities to safeguard people and knew how to respond if they had any concerns.

People continued to receive effective care and treatment. People had detailed personalised plans of care in place to inform and enable staff to provide consistent care and support. They received their medicines in a timely way. People had enough to eat and drink and enjoyed a varied and nutritious diet. The staff support, training and professional development systems ensured staff had the right skills, knowledge and experience to effectively meet people’s needs on a daily and long term basis.

People were enabled to make choices about the way in which their care and support was provided. There were positive relationships between people using the service and the staff. The staff were caring and treated people with respect, kindness and compassion. They had a good understanding of each person’s care and treatment needs.

People’s representatives knew how to raise a concern or make a complaint and the provider responded appropriately to any concerns or complaints. There were systems in place to monitor the quality and standard of the service. Timely action was taken to address any shortfalls and make improvements. The registered manager was readily approachable by staff and service users alike for guidance and support.

The inspection of Oakwood Nursing Home was carried out by an inspector who gathered evidence to help us answer our five questions; Is the service safe? Is the service effective? Is the service caring? Is the service responsive to people's needs? Is the service well-led?

Below is a summary of what we found. The detailed evidence supporting our summary can be read in our full report.

Is the service safe?

We found that people's needs had been appropriately assessed before they were admitted to Oakwood Nursing Home. After admission to the home we saw that their needs were regularly reassessed to ensure they continued to receive safe care when their needs changed. This meant that staff had the up-to-date information they needed to minimise identified risks to people's safety and welfare.

We saw there were sufficient numbers of experienced and competent staff on duty to safely meet people's personal and healthcare needs. We found that staff had been appropriately trained to provide safe care. One person said, “The staff are helpful and kind so that makes me feel safe.”

There were suitable arrangements in place for staff to respond to emergencies, deal with incidents, or seek guidance from their manager or the nurse-in-charge. This meant that staff received the advice and support they needed to manage problematic situations safely, effectively, and in a timely way.

The three staff we spoke with said they had received training in the safeguarding of vulnerable adults (SoVA) and they knew how to report concerns. This meant that people were protected from the risk of neglect or unsafe care.

We found that the home had been appropriately maintained. We saw that people were cared for in an environment that was clean and hygienic. We found that the equipment in place for staff to use was appropriately serviced. This meant that people were cared for in a safe environment.

Is the service effective?

Staff had received the up-to-date information, training and managerial support they needed to do their job effectively. We spoke with staff and observed them going about their duties in an unhurried, purposeful way. They were able to tell us about people’s individual needs and how they delivered their care. This meant that because staff had a good knowledge of each person’s care needs and preferences they were able to provide effective care.

Is the service caring?

When we saw staff interact with people their manner of approach was patient, kind, and good humoured. They encouraged people who struggled to do things for themselves but made sure people were safe. We saw they provided people with timely assistance whenever that was appropriate but never 'rushed' anyone.

Is the service responsive to people's needs?

People said they received the support they needed to enable them to do what they could for themselves. One person said, “I try to do what I can but I know the staff will help me if I get in a muddle.”

We saw that there was enough staff on duty to meet people's needs. The three staff we spoke with said they were able to meet people's needs without feeling under pressure. One person said, "I only have to ask if I need anything. They always come when I need their help."

Is the service well led?

The staff we spoke with all confirmed that they had received the support and guidance they needed from the manager and other senior staff, such as the nurse-in-charge. They said they were encouraged to raise issues for discussion or make suggestions for improvements. They all said the manager and other senior staff were approachable and always supportive. This meant that people were assured of receiving care from staff that were appropriately managed.

We met and spoke in private with three people in the home who told us that they were happy, felt safe, and received the care and support they needed.

One person spoke with commented that the staff and owners were "always attentive" and "very kind". A visitor said that they were "pleased and happy" with the care their relative had received.

We saw that the home was being redecorated and that people had been asked to help choose new pictures to go on the walls.

We found the home to be clean, comfortable, free from odour, and well maintained. We found that 'Oakwood Nursing Home' was appropriately staffed to safely and effectively meet the needs of the sixteen people in residence when we visited.

Some people were unable to speak with us because their dementia had impaired their ability to communicate verbally. We used a number of different methods to help us understand the experiences of people using the service. For example, we spoke with two people in the privacy of their room who were able to tell us about the standard of care they had experienced at Oakwood Nursing Home. They said they received all the care and support they needed. One person said, "The staff are all very kind. I get on with them all and they make sure I am comfortable." Both people said the food was "very good".

We spoke with four visiting relatives who said they were welcome to visit at any reasonable hour. They all said they found the staff friendly and helpful. One visitor said, "I am more than happy with the care and attention mother receives."

We heard staff talk with people and their tone of voice was friendly, they explained what they were doing and they used words of encouragement when, for example, they physically assisted people to move around. We saw that people seated in the communal lounge were dressed in clean clothing .

We spoke with people who told us that they received the support and care they needed. Some people told us that sometimes they had needed to "…wait a bit when staff were really busy." Everyone we spoke with said that if they did have to wait it was not for too long and they had not seen anyone distressed or left without the help they had needed. One person said, "There is more staff around now so I am happy enough. If I have to buzz for help they see to me after a few minutes."

One relative we spoke with said that occasionally the home had seemed short staffed when they had visited. They said staff were friendly and helpful but had "…seemed really busy." They told us that they had seen that staffing levels had since increased and were reassured by that. They said, however, that their relative had always told them that they had received the care and attention they needed, so they were not unduly concerned.

Some people told us there was not much to occupy them during the day since the activities co-ordinator had left. They said no-one had yet been recruited to take that person's place although they had been told, and were pleased, that the post had been advertised.

A relative said, "I am always welcome to visit whenever I want. Mum says the staff are nice to her and from what I have seen so far I think they do treat her well. She tells me she is happy."

The people who spoke to us at Oakwood Nursing Home told us they were happy with the care and support they get. They said they liked the attitude of the staff, that they did ‘a good job’.

Comments from people we spoke to included, for example:

• “If I need help I only have to ask.”

• “Friendly staff. Nothing is too much trouble.”

• “I get well fed here.”

• “Whenever we visit we are made so welcome. That says a lot. It’s very reassuring.”

This inspection took place on the 30 March 2017 and was unannounced. The service is registered to provide accommodation with personal care and treatment for up to 29 older persons mostly with dementia and palliative care needs. At the time of inspection there were 27 people in residence being supported and cared for. At the last inspection in February 2015, the service was rated ‘Good’ and at this inspection we found the service remained a ‘Good’ service.

The service had a registered manager. 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.

People continued to receive safe care. Staff were appropriately recruited and there were enough members of staff to provide care and support so that people felt safe in the home. Staffing levels were kept under review to ensure that people’s needs were met in timely way.

People were consistently protected from the risks of harm. Staff understood their responsibilities to safeguard people and knew how to respond if they had any concerns.

People continued to receive effective care and treatment. People had detailed personalised plans of care in place to inform and enable staff to provide consistent care and support. They received their medicines in a timely way. People had enough to eat and drink and enjoyed a varied and nutritious diet. The staff support, training and professional development systems ensured staff had the right skills, knowledge and experience to effectively meet people’s needs on a daily and long term basis.

People were enabled to make choices about the way in which their care and support was provided. There were positive relationships between people using the service and the staff. The staff were caring and treated people with respect, kindness and compassion. They had a good understanding of each person’s care and treatment needs.

People’s representatives knew how to raise a concern or make a complaint and the provider responded appropriately to any concerns or complaints. There were systems in place to monitor the quality and standard of the service. Timely action was taken to address any shortfalls and make improvements. The registered manager was readily approachable by staff and service users alike for guidance and support.