Oaklands

Oaklands is a residential care home that provides personal care and support for up to five people with learning disabilities or autism. At the time of our inspection, five residents were living at the home, with one person receiving personal care. The service focuses on promoting independence, choice, and empowerment while creating a safe and welcoming environment tailored to each resident's individual physical and sensory needs.

For safety, the home maintains a clean and well-maintained environment where risks are properly assessed and managed alongside clear infection control procedures. Staff receive thorough safeguarding training and know how to report concerns, while medicines are handled safely to promote independence and avoid over-medication. However, managing safety sometimes requires adjusting routines, such as scheduling the use of certain noisy domestic appliances only when a specific resident is away from the home due to sensory needs.

The care provided is effective through highly personalised support plans, flexible mealtimes, and well-documented daily diaries that track residents' progress and independence over time. Staff undergo structured training and regular supervision to ensure they can meet individual needs, including support with balanced diets and accessing healthcare services. While the environment is homely and adapted well with a quiet conservatory and a large garden, staff must carefully coordinate schedules and care approaches to accommodate varying support levels, such as arranging extra nighttime staff when needs increase.

Residents experience kind, compassionate, and patient support from staff who understand their individual communication styles, sensory sensitivities, and emotional needs. People are actively involved in daily decisions, household budgeting, and planning activities through weekly Friday evening meetings featuring tea and cake. Staff consistently respect privacy and dignity, using tailored communication methods to help residents build confidence and basic daily living skills like dressing and brushing their teeth.

The service responds well to individual aspirations, tailoring activities and community access to match each person's specific interests and goals. Staff evaluate the quality of support collaboratively with residents, families, and external professionals, making timely adjustments after incidents to improve safety during community outings. The home also uses a clear one-page profile system with essential dos and don'ts so that temporary or new staff can immediately understand how to support each resident properly.

Leadership at the home is open and transparent, fostered by a management team that works closely with staff to maintain a strong person-centred culture. Staff report feeling well-supported by the registered manager, with access to ongoing leadership training and regular appraisals to encourage continuous learning. Incidents and near misses are investigated openly alongside the staff team, ensuring lessons are learned and operational changes are made swiftly to benefit the residents.