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Freephone: 03003034796
We love being close to the popular town of Haywards Heath and you’ll find Oakwood Court care home is one of the most homely and friendly around. Our community is vibrant – a place that welcomes people with open arms like a big family.
We are proudly not for profit and our home is a happy place to be. Our array of activities means we can brighten everyone’s lives, whether it’s getting stuck into something new or enjoying a favourite hobby, we have something for everyone and we aim to make the sun shine every day.
With our worry-free promise, moving your loved one to Oakwood Court will give you peace of mind. They will be well cared for by our experienced team and they will enjoy delicious home cooked meals and friendly, sociable company with other residents and our carers.
We are welcoming new residents so please get in touch with our friendly team for more information and to come and visit Oakwood Court.
About Oakwood Court
We are home to 35 people and give residential care, and we are dementia friendly.
Our dedicated team of friendly carers are on hand 24 hours a day and we love getting to know our individual residents so we can make sure they have all the care they need to enjoy their stay.
Residents can relax in our comfortable lounge, keep busy in our activities room or get back to nature in our beautiful mature gardens. With their very own single or double bedroom with en-suite, the choice is theirs.
Yes, we are pet friendly and very proud to have a gold award from the RSPCA! We’re also chuffed to have a 5* food hygiene certificate.
Let the sun shine every day. Make us your new home. Contact us today.
My dad never wanted to go into a care home, but at 92 he had to due to ill health. I was very pleased with all aspects of this home and my dads' reaction to it. He loved it from day one. Everyone is very caring and welcoming. It is very clean with excellent food.
Mum has lived at the home for nearly 6 years and has always been very happy there. The home is always clean and tidy. Mum has her own furniture and nik-naks which make it feel like her home. All of the carers and staff are very pleasant and give the home a happy, homely feel.
A well-run care home with a friendly ambience. Residents are treated with respect and dignity and the home provides a supportive environment for both residents and their families.
Activities - Sunny moments club
Making memories and creating special sunny moments is something we love to do.
We are passionate about creating moments with our residents that will brighten their day – we call this our sunny moments club.
We spend time getting to know each individual and our dedicated activity co-ordinators create an ever-changing programme full of activities and fun things to do, giving residents the chance to do what they love best, or explore new experiences or talents. Sunny moments are created with our dedicated activities co-ordinator and can involve individual or group activities, friends, family and the local community.
We arrange everything from crafts, quizzes and armchair aerobics to food tasting, movie afternoons and community choirs – just to name a few. Sometimes sunny moments are those moments we take to relax and reflect. We have quieter times to chat with a friend, share our most vivid memories or perhaps enjoy a stroll around the garden.
Sporting moments are sunny moments – there really is something for everyone. We enjoy cheerleading, ball games, hoopla, indoor golf or simply reminiscing about a favourite sport!
Sample activities menu
Monday - Skittles and flower arranging
Tuesday - Tapas tasting and Alive and Active exercise
Wednesday - Live violin performance and arts and crafts
Thursday - Hoopla and pamper parlour
Friday - Bulb planting and quiz time
Saturday - Saturday smoothies and scrabble club
Sunday - sing along and movie and nibbles
When you wish upon a star
Most of our care homes have a wish tree and it’s a special sunny moment when we make a wish come true. We love it when our residents dream big and we get to see their face light up when their wish is our command.
“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” George Shaw
Meet the team
Bindu Joseph, Care Home Manager
"I have worked at Oakwood Court since 2009. I get satisfaction from helping residents and seeing them happy in our home.
I have a Diploma in General Nursing, and both a Level 3 in Health and Social Care and a Level 5 in Leadership and Management of Care Services.
I love my job because it's so rewarding leading a team and supporting our residents to live a bright life and putting them and their families at the heart of everything we do.
We do everything we can for them and it's brilliant to see the smiles on their faces. I look forward to meeting you and showing you around our friendly home."
Jessica James, Care Home Administrator
“I started working at Oakwood Court in April 2022 and coming from mainly an administrative background, this is my first role in a care home. After only being here a short time, I sensed what a warm, friendly, caring home it is. It really does feel like “home from home”. I am the first port of call for all visitors to the home such as relatives, friends, nurses and tradespeople and I keep all the administrative paperwork up to date.
But what I enjoy most about my job is interacting with the lovely residents. I deliver their post and help read letters from family and friends if they are unable to do so themselves. Seeing the joy on their faces when I am reading to them is what I find so rewarding.”
Maria Figueira, Chef Manager
"I have over 25 years experience in catering and have been a Chef Manager here since 2013. I love food and cooking and I understand the importance of food. My father was Spanish and my upbringing has revolved around family and food.
Mealtimes are one of the most important parts of the day, especailly for socialising and residents' wellbeing. There's nothing better than seeing residents tucking into a home cooked, hearty meal and getting good feedback from them, it brings joy to me and makes my job rewarding. I am supported in the kitchen by a Chef and two Kitchen Assistants and spend time with residents listening to their feedback and menu ideas."
Visiting your loved one
We are delighted to welcome family and friends to our care homes.
We recognise that spending quality time with your loved one is important and here at Sussex Housing & Care we do everything we can to make your visits to our care homes in Battle, Haywards Heath and Crowborough as friendly, relaxed and sociable as possible. After all, it’s home to our residents and they will look forward to welcoming you.
What can I do when I visit?
The choice is yours. There are several things you can do whilst spending time with your loved one in our care home. These could include:
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Having a private chat in their bedroom.
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Spending time with them and others in our lounge.
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Relaxing in our day room or activities room.
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Taking part in one to one or group activities.
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Making the most of our outside spaces by enjoying the views from our garden patios or a walk together around the garden.
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Having coffee or lunch together. Please pre book lunch if you’d like a meal with us.
We also have an array of special events throughout the year from BBQs and garden parties to themed days and entertainment. Keep an eye out for these on our Facebook page or on our website.
We love a party! We also support small private parties such as birthdays, these can be arranged with the team at the care home.
Residents are welcome to go out with their friends and relatives.
What time of day can I visit the care home?
You can visit any time of day as we operate a 24/7 service, although we all respect our residents’ wishes and welcome visitors at times that are convenient and suitable for them. Many visitors enjoy coming in the morning or afternoon and some visit after work in the early evening.
Do I need to wear PPE?
You do not need to wear a mask or PPE when visiting our care homes. However, if there is a local need for you to wear a mask, then we will provide you with PPE. It’s important that you please do not come into the home if you have been feeling unwell recently or have had any symptoms of Covid, even if you have tested negative and had your vaccine and boosters.
Can I bring a pet into the home to visit?
We encourage visits from small pets into the care home. It’s always best to check with the care home before you come to check there isn’t anyone allergic to pet hair. We also ask you please to keep dogs on leads.
Can I bring a child to visit?
We encourage visits from anyone under 18 into our care homes. Please we ask that they are accompanied and supervised at all times by an adult.
Prices
We have a variety of rooms at Oakwood Court offering a range of sizes, outside views,
location and facilities.
The prices below are based on standard care. The level of care each resident receives is
based on an assessment of their individual care needs. This assessment identifies their
dependency, which could be; standard, medium, high, very high or end of life care.
The weekly fee for permanent residents receiving standard care, is from £1,107 to £1,326.
The weekly fee for respite residents receiving standard care, starts from £1,328 to £1,465.
We encourage you to bring your own furniture to personalise your room and make it
feel like home.
The following items and services are included in and covered by your weekly fees:
• The costs of your personal care
• Accommodation
• Electricity (lighting and heating)
• Food and non-alcoholic drink, including snacks
• Housekeeping and laundry (except items that need dry cleaning)
• Television license
• Wifi for you and your visitors
• Daily activities
The following extra items and services are not covered by the weekly fees, although we are happy to arrange them for you at an extra cost:
• Professional hairdressing
• Personal copies of newspapers or magazines
• Personal purchases such as stationery, sweets, alcohol, particular snacks, soaps and toiletries
• Clothing, shoes and slippers
• Dry cleaning
• Private telephone line
• Chiropody
If you have any questions about paying for care, our friendly care home manager would be happy to answer your questions.
Paying for care
Our prices are based on your individual care needs and your choice of room within our home.
Assess your situation
Some people have the resources to pay for their care in full and others make means tested contributions. There are national limits that determine eligibility for funding assistance which are set by the government and are subject to change, so we advise you to check current figures when choosing a care home.
Paying for care yourself
If you are paying for your own care then you can contact our care home directly to arrange a viewing and request a room. We will do a care needs assessment to make sure we are able to meet your care needs. We advise that you thoroughly read through the contract before signing and make sure you are clear about what you are paying for.
Financial assessment
You will need to have a financial assessment before moving in. The purpose of this assessment is to identify the length of time that you might be able to meet our fees. It will also assess whether you are likely to require top up funding from the Local Authority. We require all new potential residents to undergo an Independent Financial Assessment.
We can give you details of an independent financial advisor that could be used, or you can choose your own providing that your financial report covers our ‘acceptance criteria’. We use ‘Care Advice Service’ and their current cost for a financial assessment is £145 (subject to change) and is refundable after six months. Following the financial assessment, we will be given a red, amber or green score on your ability to pay and we will discuss this score with you.
We require the result of your assessment to be green for you to move in as a permanent resident. We would not ordinarily accept a self-funding resident to move in permanently with a red or amber result.
Common questions
Does Sussex Housing & Care accept Local Authority (LA) funded residents?
We do accept LA funded residents but only with a top-up fee to cover the difference in cost. A third party can ‘topup’ and contribute to any extra cost and they will need to have a financial assessment (see overleaf) to identify whether they can meet the fees.
Do I have to pay a deposit?
We don’t ask for a deposit but we do ask that residents pay in advance (see ‘how frequently are care home fees due?’ question below).
Can I reserve a room?
If a resident is unable to move in immediately and there is a delay, we are able to reserve an empty room of your choosing. This will be charged at the ‘standard’ rate for the room and the charge will apply for the duration of the time it is being reserved. This charge is non-refundable.
How frequently are care home fees due?
For permanent residents, the payment of the monthly charge by direct debit is due in advance on the first day of each month, or the nearest following day if the first day of the month falls on a bank holiday or weekend. For respite residents it is a week in advance.
What happens if a resident becomes eligible for state funding during their stay?
We expect the resident or a third party to pay the difference between what the local authority pay and our fees, if not they will have to leave the home. If we have a more affordable room which is empty we can give the resident the option to move into the cheaper room. Before moving in we ask for the resident to have a third party top up guarantor in case a resident is no longer able to pay the fee.
How can self-funded residents have their fees changed during their stay?
There is an annual fee increase on 1 April based on a formula which uses CPI and wages increases. This is calculated at a maximum of 2% plus 65% of wages increase plus 35% of CPIH.
Fees may increase or decrease at other times where there has been a significant change in your care needs and we will always give you notice of this. We do reserve the right to increase the fees by an additional percentage due to exceptional circumstances. For example where an
event had not been predicted such as a pandemic which resulted in unforeseen expenditure.
Fresh home cooked food
We know that meal times bring sunshine and are an important part of the day. We take great pride in offering a seasonal daily menu which has a selection of delicious, nutritionally balanced meals.
Residents can take their pick and choose on the day what they fancy from the menu. Our trained chefs cook scrumptious dishes on site in our 5* hygiene rated kitchen, using fresh ingredients.
If there are dietary requirements or personal preferences, that’s no problem! Residents can top themselves up throughout the day with tea, coffee, juice, homemade cake, biscuits and fruit. There’s not much that beats settling down with a nice cup of tea and homemade cake whilst chatting with friends in an afternoon.
Residents have their say and join regular meetings with our Chef Manager to give feedback on dishes and share suggestions for the menu. Here’s what some residents had to say:
“Full marks to the kitchen for getting to know people’s likes and dislikes!”
“My breakfast here is perfect, it’s exactly what I like.”
“I have a small appetite and have a small plate, but sometimes there’s not enough space so I’d like a small portion on a bigger plate please.”
Here's a sample menu:
Breakfast
Selection of cereals or porridge, mixed fruits, toast and tea, coffee, hot chocolate.
Lunch
Roast beef and yorkshire pudding
Roasted vegetable tart
Pear tart tatin
Chocolate organde cheesecake
Supper
Ham and cheese croissant
Homemade carrot and corriander soup
Lemon syllabub
Creme caramel
CQC rating
In June 2019 the CQC rated Oakwood Court as 'requires improvement'.
One of our core values is to be open and honest, so we have created a summary action plan to share with you. In this action plan you can read what the CQC told us and what our responses are to each area.
The last CQC inspection at Oakwood Court was over two years ago and we are currently waiting to be re-inspected. We are looking forward to welcoming the CQC inspectors soon to show them our improvements and bring Oakwood Court to the same rating as our two other homes in Crowborough and Battle.
We encourage you to see Oakwood Court for yourself, meet our happy residents and friendly care team.
CQC Action plan Oakwood Court updated January 2020.pdf [pdf] 3MB
Independent inspection is 'good'
In October 2021 Oakwood Court was independently inspected by Isaac Theophilos from Outstanding Care Homes. We’re delighted to announce that Isaac has independently evaluated Oakwood Court as being 'good’ and praised a number of areas of our service.
Here is Isaac's report: Oakwood Court independent inspection report.pdf [pdf] 286KB
We are not for profit
We are a not for profit housing association. This means we make a surplus each year which we reinvest back into the organisation in order to continiously improve our properties and the quality of life of our residents. We strive to create brighter living every day.