Skip to content
CQC ExplainedEvery inspection report, in plain English

CQC report explained · a nursing home, run by Valorum Care

Oaklands

Dimples Lane, Barnacre, Preston, PR3 1UA

Goodpublished 1 September 2023, 2 years ago

Rated Good: inspectors found the service performing well and meeting their expectations.

The five questions inspectors ask
Safe?
Good
Inspectors found suitable risk assessments, enough staff, safe medicines practice and effective infection control. They also found that some checks on staff backgrounds had not been completed thoroughly enough before employment.
Effective?
Good
People's needs and choices were assessed, staff had relevant training, and people were supported with food, drink and healthcare. Inspectors also found that consent and best-interest processes were being followed.
Caring?
Good
People said staff were kind, respectful and caring. Staff promoted privacy, dignity, independence and involvement in decisions about care.
Responsive?
Good
This question was not inspected during this focused visit. Its previous rating was carried forward when calculating the overall rating.
Well-led?
Good
Inspectors found improved communication, audits and oversight of safety and quality. People, relatives and staff gave positive feedback about the management and culture.
The latest report, explained

What inspectors found, September 2023

Oaklands: Rated Good; inspectors found kind, safe care, but some pre-employment checks were incomplete.

This was an unannounced, focused inspection on 26 July 2023. The inspectors spoke with people living in the home, relatives and staff. They also checked care, medicine, recruitment and management records.

People said they were very happy with the care. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines practice, suitable risk assessments and good infection control. Staff supported people's choices, dignity, independence and healthcare needs.

Some checks on new staff were not complete before they started work. The home was given a recommendation to improve its recruitment checks. The overall rating changed from Requires Improvement to Good because improvements had been made since the previous inspection.

What inspectors praised

  • Positive care experience

    People told inspectors they were very happy with the care. Relatives were also kept informed and involved.

    “People told us they were very happy with the care they received.” from the report

  • Risk management

    Risks to people and the environment were identified and plans told staff how to manage them. Accidents and incidents were reviewed for lessons and trends.

    “Risks relating to people's needs and their environment had been identified, assessed and appropriate plans were in place informing staff on how to manage those risks.” from the report

  • Kind and respectful staff

    People said staff treated them with kindness and respect. Staff supported people to remain as independent as they wanted.

    “The staff are very helpful and kind. They treat us all with respect.” from the report

  • Improved management oversight

    The home had strengthened its audits, communication and quality checks since the previous inspection. Inspectors found these systems were helping to identify concerns.

    “Various audits to monitor the oversight of the safety and quality of the service had been undertaken and these were effective in identifying any concerns.” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about

  • Incomplete recruitment checks

    needs fixing

    Some checks with previous health and social care employers had not always been completed before staff started. Inspectors found no evidence that anyone had been harmed, but recommended that the recruitment process be reviewed.

    “On occasions, checks into an applicant's background had not been thorough enough.” from the report
Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01What checks are now completed with previous health and social care employers before a person starts work?
  2. 02How do you make sure staffing levels remain suitable when regular agency staff are used?
  3. 03What audits are currently carried out, and how are any concerns followed up?
  4. 04How will my relative be involved in reviewing and changing their care plan?
  5. 05How do you respond if there is an infection outbreak, and when would visiting be restricted?

This was a focused inspection of Safe, Effective, Caring and Well-led; Responsive was not inspected and the ratings for any uninspected questions were carried over from the last inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 1 September 2023 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.

The story over the years

Every inspection of Oaklands

4 rated inspections over 8 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.

  1. September 2023Goodcurrent ratingup from Requires improvement
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good

    Read what inspectors found at Oaklands →

  2. December 2021Requires improvementdown from Outstanding
    Safe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement

    We are reading this report · the original is on cqc.org.uk

  3. November 2017Outstandingup from Good
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: OutstandingResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Good
  4. August 2015Good
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
  5. July 2019

    Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 31 July 2019.

Ratings and report dates from the Care Quality Commission. A service can also be visited without a new rating being published, so the timeline shows published inspections, not every contact the CQC has had with the service.

Another option

Or stay at home with a private carer

Many people who look at care homes end up staying at home with a carer who comes in for a few hours a day, or lives in. PrimeCarers introduces you to self-employed carers you choose yourself: interviewed, ID and DBS checked, from about £20 an hour or £1,120 a week live-in.

About live-in careHow PrimeCarers works
Same provider

Other services run by Valorum Care Limited

22 other services on the CQC register. A pattern across a group tells you more than one report.

Freshfields

Liverpool, L37
Good
NursingDementia
Rated 3 years agoReport explained

The Grange

Poole, BH14
Good
ResidentialDementia
Rated 21 months agoReport explained

White Windows

Sowerby Bridge, HX6
Not yet rated
NursingDementia
Not yet ratedReport explained

St Anthony's

Wolverhampton, WV4
Good
NursingDementia
Rated 20 months agoReport explained
Nearby

Other care homes near Preston

All in Lancashire