The inspection was unannounced and took place on the 30 November 2016.

Oasis House provides care and support for up to 30 older people, some of whom may be living with dementia. There were 30 people living at the service when we visited.

Prior to this inspection we had received concerns in relation to the standard of cleanliness in some areas of the premises. We therefore needed to ensure that people were living in a clean and hygienic environment and were receiving safe care in line with the fundamental standards.

The service did not have a registered manager in place, but a manager was in post. They were going through the registration process with the Care Quality Commission (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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People felt safe. Staff had received training to enable them to recognise the signs and symptoms of abuse and they knew how to report any concerns. People had risk assessments and management plans in place. These had been developed with people using the service and the multi-disciplinary team of health care professionals and care staff working at the service.

There were sufficient staff with the appropriate skill mix available to support people with their needs. Effective recruitment procedures were in place to ensure suitable staff were employed. Staff did not start working at the service until all of the necessary pre-employment checks had been carried out.

Systems were in place to ensure that people’s medicines were managed safely. There were arrangements in place for ensuring that the premises were clean and hygienic.

Staff received appropriate training, supervision and support to enable them to carry out their roles and responsibilities effectively.

People were supported to make decisions about their care and support. Their consent to be supported was sought in line with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 legislation. Any restrictions placed on people’s liberty were legally authorised using the least restrictive means. The manager and staff team were knowledgeable about the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.

People were able to make choices about the food and drink they had and to maintain a healthy and balanced diet. Staff supported people to attend health care appointments; and they had access to a variety of health care professionals including the dentist, optician, chiropodist, dietician and the speech and language therapist.

People and their relatives including health care professionals commented positively about the standard of the care provided. Staff provided care and support in a meaningful manner; and knew about people’s preferences and personal histories.

People and their relatives’ views were listened to and they were actively encouraged to be involved in their care and support. Staff treated people with kindness and compassion; and their rights to privacy and dignity were fully respected.

Visitors to the service were welcomed and there were no restrictions on visiting times.

People’s needs were assessed before coming to live at the service and the care plans reflected how their needs were to be met.

There was a complaints procedure, which people their relatives and staff were aware of. Complaints raised with the service were responded to and investigated in line with the complaints procedure.

The ethos of the service promoted an open and inclusive culture where people’s views mattered. A variety of quality monitoring audits were carried out, which were used to drive continuous improvement.

Oasis House provides care and support for up to 30 older people who are physically and mentally frail. There were 30 people living at the service when we visited.

The inspection was unannounced and took place on 29 January 2015.

The home has 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 were looked after by staff who were aware of how to respond to allegations or incidents of abuse. The staffing numbers at the service were adequate to meet people’s assessed needs. The service had a recruitment process to ensure that suitable staff were employed to look after people safely. There were suitable arrangements for the storage and management of medicines.

Staff received appropriate support and training to perform their roles and responsibilities. They were provided with on-going training to update their skills and knowledge. People’s consent to care and treatment was sought in line with current legislation. Where people’s liberty was deprived best interest assessments had taken place. People were provided with a balanced diet and adequate amount of food and drinks of their choice. If required people had access to health care services.

People were looked after by staff who were caring, compassionate and promoted their privacy and dignity. Their needs were assessed and regularly reviewed to ensure that the care they received was relevant to their needs. There was a complaints process which people were made aware of.

The service promoted a culture that was open and transparent. Quality assurance systems were in place and these were used to obtain feedback, monitor performance and manage risks.

We carried out an inspection of Oasis House on 10 September 2013. We spoke with 11 of the 27 people who lived at the home and looked at the care records for three of the people. Because many of the people had dementia and had difficulty with verbal communication we spent time observing interactions and responses. We observed positive engagement between staff and people who use the service. We also saw that staff ensured they explained their actions before care and support was carried out. Care records indicated that the people who used the service or a family member was involved in making decisions. We saw that where the person lacked the capacity to make decisions, appropriate processes had been followed to ensure best interest decisions were made on their behalf.

We observed safe medication processes in the home which ensured the people who use the service received the correct medication at the correct time.

This home provided a clean and safe environment for the people who lived there. There was a relaxed and homely atmosphere in the home, and people were supported to have their own personal belongings around them. One person said, "It is lovely here I have nothing to worry about." People were at ease in the company of the staff that cared for them and there were sufficient staff on duty to meet their care needs.

The home had a robust complaints procedure which would ensure a complaint was logged, investigated and responded to correctly and in a timely fashion.

The people who were living at Oasis House when we visited on 24 April 2012, had varied levels of verbal communication, however they were all able to demonstrate through speech, facial expressions and gestures that they were satisfied with the care and support they received. One person said. “I like it here. They are very good. The people are nice”. Another said ‘’It’s lovely here. There’s always someone to help. The staff are always smiling’’.

People looked clean and well cared for, and where people needed support or assistance with personal care this was done in the privacy of their room, or discretely if not requiring privacy, to protect their dignity. The food and drink choices were suitable and very homely. One person told us “Food’s good, a good variety”.

People had access to a wealth of information relating to the home which was displayed on notice boards in the communal areas of the home. This included information about people’s rights and how to make a complaint, how to access advocacy support services, information about and from the Alzheimer’s Society and safeguarding contact information. There were a number of different activities arranged and these are being expanded to ensure everyone can find something suitable.

During our visit on 03 January 2012, we spoke with four people who lived at Oasis House. They all told us they were happy with the care provided and that the staff knew how to support them and understood their needs. People said that staff were attentive, treated them with respect and generally responded quickly when they called.

People told us, and we heard, staff speak in a kind, friendly and respectful manner. We heard staff explain to people what they were going to do before providing care.

We were told that people were offered a choice of meals, that there was plenty of food and that it was of a satisfactory standard.

People living at the home made positive comments about the staff who care for them. They told us staff were kind and understood their needs. They said that they trusted the staff and manager and felt that any concerns they raised would be addressed.