ReadyCQC, a weekly field guide to CQC home-care regulation

Inspection report · 2025-12-12

Framework: KLOE · 11 pages · 78 KB · PDF

Insufficient evidence to rate

safe: Requires improvementwell-led: Requires improvement

The Oaklea Trust (North West) was rated Requires Improvement in both Safe and Well-Led following a focused inspection triggered by concerns about abuse risk management, with a breach of Regulation 12 identified due to inadequate risk assessment records and governance failures that left people at potential risk of harm. Strengths included safe medicines management, effective infection control, sufficient staffing, and a provider that responded promptly to inspection findings.

Concerns (5)

criticalCare planning: “Systems to assess and manage risks had not ensured complete and accurate records were available to guide staff on how to ensure people's safety.”
criticalSafeguarding: “We could not be assured the risks had been considered... placing the individual at risk of harm. Breach of regulation 12 (Safe Care and Treatment).”
moderateGovernance: “The systems used to audit the service had not identified issues we had found regarding managing risks to people's safety.”
moderateLeadership: “Over the years it was very good... Then [with the] changes, I found care seemed to go down. The good manager left, and the dynamics changed.”
minorCommunication with families: “Communication is deteriorating. The last manager left. [They were] good with residents. The manager now covers five homes.”

Strengths

· Staff were trained in how to identify and report abuse and were knowledgeable about people they cared for.
· People received the support they needed to take their medicines safely.
· Staff protected people from the risk of infection and used PPE effectively.
· The provider worked cooperatively with other agencies and took immediate action on feedback during inspection.
· People were asked for their views and the provider responded to feedback, including providing person-centred activities.

Quality-Statement breakdown (9)

safe: Systems and processes to safeguard people from the risk of abuse; Assessing risk, safety monitoring and managementRequires improvement
safe: Staffing and recruitmentGood
safe: Using medicines safelyGood
safe: Preventing and controlling infectionGood
safe: Learning lessons when things go wrongGood
well-led: Managers and staff being clear about their roles, understanding quality performance, risks and regulatory requirementsRequires improvement
well-led: How the provider understands and acts on the duty of candourGood
well-led: Engaging and involving people using the service, the public and staff

The Oaklea Trust (South Lakes & Furness)

Inspection reports (2)