Oakwood Care Centre

What families say

The atmosphere here strikes visitors as cosy and comfortable from the start. Families mention feeling at ease when they visit, finding the environment puts them — and their loved ones — in a relaxed frame of mind.

Based on 5 Google reviews · 0 reviews on carehome.co.uk · most recent 2026-04-10

The eight family priority themes

• Staff warmth55
• Compassion & dignity55
• Cleanliness55
• Activities & engagement50
• Food quality50
• Healthcare55
• Management & leadership65
• Resident happiness55

What inspectors found

Inspected 2021-05-08 · Report published 2021-05-08 · Inspected 4 times in the last three years

• Is this home safe?

  Good

  {"found":"The home received a Good rating for Safe at its April 2021 inspection. The previous inspection had identified concerns sufficient to result in a Requires Improvement rating overall, and the improvement to Good across all domains suggests that safety-related issues were addressed. The home supports 18 residents, including people with dementia and physical disabilities, which places particular demands on safe care practices. The published report does not record specific detail about staffing ratios, medicines management, falls recording, or infection control practices.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good Safe rating after a previous Requires Improvement is reassuring, because it suggests the home identified what was going wrong and fixed it. However, the Good Practice evidence from the IFF Research and Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review flags night staffing as the point where safety most commonly slips in smaller homes like this one. With 18 residents, some of whom have dementia, the overnight cover matters enormously. The inspection text does not record what that cover looks like, so you will need to ask directly. Agency staff usage is also worth checking: consistent, familiar faces are particularly important for people with dementia, whose distress can increase when they encounter unfamiliar carers.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence base identifies night staffing ratios and agency staff reliance as the two most common safety risks in small residential homes. Homes that log and review falls and incidents in a structured way are more likely to prevent repeat harm.","watch_out":"Ask the manager to show you the actual staffing rota for the past two weeks, not a template. Count how many shifts were covered by permanent staff versus agency workers, and ask specifically how many staff are on duty overnight for the 18 residents."}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Good

  {"found":"The home received a Good rating for Effective at its April 2021 inspection. This domain covers care planning, staff training, health monitoring, and food quality. Dementia is listed as a specialism, which means the home is expected to demonstrate appropriate training and care approaches for people living with dementia. The published report does not provide specific examples of care plan content, training records, GP access arrangements, or food provision.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good Effective rating covers some of the things families in our review data care most about, including healthcare access (cited in 20.2% of positive reviews) and food quality (20.9%). But without specific inspection detail, it is hard to know what the inspectors actually observed. The Good Practice research is clear that care plans should be living documents, reviewed regularly with family input, not paperwork filed away after admission. Ask to see a sample care plan, or ask how your parent's preferences, routines, and life history would be recorded and used day to day. Dementia training quality varies enormously between homes: ask what the training covers, not just whether staff have completed it.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence review found that dementia training is most effective when it goes beyond basic awareness to cover non-verbal communication, person-centred approaches, and specific techniques for supporting people in distress. Homes where care plans are reviewed with families at least every three months show better outcomes for residents.","watch_out":"Ask the manager how often care plans are reviewed and whether families are invited to take part. Then ask what the dementia training covers and when the most recent training took place for permanent care staff."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Good

  {"found":"The home received a Good rating for Caring at its April 2021 inspection. This domain covers staff warmth, dignity, respect, and independence. The published report does not include any recorded observations of staff interactions, quotes from residents or relatives, or specific examples of how the home supports privacy and dignity. A Good rating in this domain is a positive signal, but the absence of detail means the evidence base here is thin.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Staff warmth is the single biggest driver of family satisfaction in our review data, mentioned by name in 57.3% of positive reviews, and compassion and dignity account for a further 55.2%. These are not soft extras: they are what families remember and what shapes how settled and safe your parent feels. The inspector found enough to award a Good rating here, which matters. But the most reliable way to assess this for yourself is to visit unannounced if possible, or at a quiet time like mid-morning, and watch how staff speak to residents in corridors and communal areas. Do they use preferred names? Do they crouch down to speak at eye level? Do they rush or linger?","evidence_base":"The Good Practice research found that non-verbal communication, including tone of voice, pace of movement, and physical proximity, is as important as spoken words for people with dementia. Staff who move without hurry and make eye contact before touching or assisting someone produce measurably lower rates of distress.","watch_out":"On your visit, spend time in a communal area and watch how staff interact with residents who are not asking for help. Notice whether staff initiate contact, use names, and move at the resident's pace rather than their own."}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Good

  {"found":"The home received a Good rating for Responsive at its April 2021 inspection. This domain covers activities, individualised engagement, and responsiveness to changing needs, including end-of-life care. The published report does not describe the activity programme, record examples of individual engagement, or detail how the home supports people who cannot participate in group activities. Dementia and physical disabilities are listed as specialisms, which makes individual responsiveness particularly important.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Activities and engagement are cited in 21.4% of positive family reviews, and resident happiness or contentment in 27.1%. For people with dementia in particular, meaningful activity is not optional: the Good Practice evidence shows that tailored, individual engagement reduces agitation and supports a sense of identity and purpose. A Good Responsive rating is encouraging, but the inspection text does not tell you what activities actually look like here or whether the home offers one-to-one engagement for residents who cannot manage group settings. With only 18 residents, there is potential for a genuinely personal approach, but you will need to ask how that is delivered in practice.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice rapid evidence review found that Montessori-based and life-history approaches, including familiar household tasks and objects linked to a person's past, produce better engagement outcomes than structured group activities alone, particularly for people with moderate to advanced dementia.","watch_out":"Ask the activity coordinator (or the manager if there is no dedicated coordinator) to describe what a typical Tuesday looks like for a resident who has advanced dementia and cannot join a group session. Listen for specifics, not generalities."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Good

  {"found":"The home received a Good rating for Well-led at its April 2021 inspection, improving from a previous Requires Improvement. The home is run by Oakwood Care Centre Limited, with Mrs Nicola Elliott named as registered manager and Ms Nisha Conhye as nominated individual. The improvement in leadership rating is a meaningful positive signal. The published report does not include specific observations about the management culture, staff feedback mechanisms, governance processes, or how the home handles complaints.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Management and leadership account for 23.4% of positive family reviews, and the Good Practice evidence is clear that leadership stability predicts the quality trajectory of a home. The fact that this home improved from Requires Improvement to Good suggests that someone in the leadership team identified problems and drove change: that is a good sign. The named registered manager, Mrs Nicola Elliott, is the person responsible for day-to-day quality. When you visit, ask to meet her or a senior colleague directly. Ask how long she has been in post, how she gets feedback from residents and families, and what she would do if a family raised a concern. Communication with families is cited in 11.5% of positive reviews and is one of the clearest signs of confident, open leadership.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence base found that homes where staff feel safe to raise concerns without fear of blame have consistently better outcomes for residents. Manager visibility and tenure are reliable predictors of care quality: long-serving, present managers correlate with settled, well-trained staff teams.","watch_out":"Ask the manager how long she has been in post, how she collects feedback from residents and their families, and what happened the last time a family raised a complaint. A confident, specific answer is a positive sign. Vague reassurances are worth probing further."}

  Verified by inspector

Source: CQC inspection report →

What the evidence base says

Against the DCC Good Practice in Dementia Care standards, this home’s evidence aligns most strongly on The home supports adults of all ages who need residential care, including those with dementia, sensory impairments, and physical disabilities.. Gaps or open questions remain on For residents living with dementia, the home provides specialist residential care as part of their range of support services. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.