Sticklepath, Barnstaple, Devon

Exceptionally Caring. That’s Not Just Our Word — It’s the CQC’s.

A small, family-run care home where 25 residents are known by name, loved by staff, and cared for like family. Purpose-built in 1974, independently run ever since.

Arrange a Visit Call 01271 374231
CQC Rated Good Previously Outstanding for Caring
Family-Run Since 1974
Over 50 years of care in the heart of Sticklepath, Barnstaple

The Hall Family, Since 1974

Small Enough to Know Everyone. Caring Enough to Love Them.

Oaklands is not a corporate care home. It is a family home, independently run by the Hall family for over 50 years. With just 25 beds, every resident is known by name, and every family is treated as part of ours.

Purpose-built in 1974 and set in a quiet residential street in Sticklepath, Oaklands combines the intimacy of a family home with the standards of professional care. Managed by Mrs Sonia Hall and Miss Gillian Ann Hull, our commitment to genuinely compassionate care earned us the CQC’s highest accolade — Outstanding for Caring — in 2018.

We are walking distance from Barnstaple town centre, local shops, the GP surgery, and the bus stop. Everything your loved one needs is right on the doorstep.

50+ Years of Care
25 Residents, Known by Name
1 Family, Running It All

What We Offer

Care Built Around You

Whether you need permanent residential care, specialist dementia support, a short respite stay, or simply want to visit for the day, Oaklands provides warmth, dignity, and genuine personal attention.

Residential Care

Our core service. 23 single rooms and one double room, each with TV points and the freedom to bring your own furniture and decorations. Person-centred care plans, attentive staff, and a genuine home-from-home where every resident matters.

Dementia Care

Specialist support for residents living with dementia and Alzheimer’s. Our small size means familiar faces, consistent routines, and the kind, patient staff the CQC described as “exceptionally caring.” A gentle, reassuring environment where your loved one can feel safe.

Respite & Trial Stays

A short stay to give a family carer a well-earned break, or a trial stay so your loved one can experience life at Oaklands before making any long-term decisions. The same warmth and attention as every permanent resident receives.

Palliative & Convalescent Care

Compassionate end-of-life care and support during recovery from illness or surgery, delivered with the dignity and sensitivity that defines Oaklands.

Day Visits

Spend the day with us and enjoy home-cooked meals, activities, and the company of others. Perfect for those who want companionship and stimulation without leaving their own home permanently.

Life at Oaklands

Where Every Day Feels Like Home

From home-cooked meals in our refitted kitchen to afternoons pottering in the garden, life at Oaklands is shaped by what makes our residents happy.

Home-Cooked Dining

Our kitchen has been refitted to the highest standards. Flexible meal arrangements mean residents eat when they want, not when a schedule dictates. Dietary needs and personal preferences are always honoured.

Garden & Activities

Daily organised activities, gardening in our lovely garden, hobby pursuits, and the freedom to shape your own day. Life at Oaklands is active, social, and always centred on what residents enjoy most.

Your Room, Your Way

Residents are welcome to bring their own furniture and choose how they decorate their room. Every room has a TV point. Pets are allowed by arrangement. This is your home, and it should feel like it.

What makes Oaklands special is not a single thing — it is everything together. A staff team that remembers how you take your tea. A garden where residents tend their own patches. The freedom to have your cat curled up at the end of your bed. A room filled with your own photographs and your favourite armchair.

We offer flexible, open visiting hours because we believe family should never feel restricted. We even provide overnight accommodation for visiting relatives, so you can stay close to your loved one whenever you need to. Walking distance from shops, the bus stop, and the GP surgery, Oaklands keeps residents connected to the community they know and love.

What Makes Us Different

A Home for Her, Rather Than Her Being in a Home

That is how one family described Oaklands during our Outstanding Caring inspection. It captures everything we strive for — a place where your loved one feels at home, not in an institution.

With just 25 beds, Oaklands is small enough that every resident is known, every preference remembered, every worry noticed. Our staff do not just provide care — they form genuine relationships. When the CQC visited in 2018, they used the word “exceptionally” to describe our approach to caring.

An inspector observed a carer gently stroking a resident’s hair because she was feeling distressed. That was not a procedure. That was a person who cared. That is Oaklands.

“Mum is like a new woman since she moved to Oaklands, she is even walking again!”
— Family member, CQC inspection 2023

Small & Intimate

Just 25 beds. Every resident is known by name. Every family is part of ours. No one gets lost in the system.

Family-Run, Family Values

Independently operated by the Hall family for over 50 years. No corporate owners, no shareholders — just a deep commitment to care.

Open Doors

Flexible visiting policy. Overnight family accommodation available. Family are welcome at any time — this is your loved one’s home.

Pets Welcome

Pets are allowed by arrangement. We know how much companionship they bring, and we want residents to keep the bonds that matter most.

Quality & CQC

Good Care, with an Outstanding Heart

Oaklands is rated Good overall by the Care Quality Commission. In 2018, we were rated Outstanding for Caring — a recognition of the exceptional compassion our staff bring to everything they do.

Overall: Good Inspected 16 February 2023
Safe
Good
Effective
Good
Caring
Good
Previously Outstanding
Responsive
Good
Well-Led
Good
“I feel really safe here, the staff look after me.”
Resident, CQC 2023
“The staff are lovely. I am happy here.”
Resident, CQC 2023
“The staff are so patient. Mum is like a new woman since she moved to Oaklands.”
Relative, CQC 2023
“A carer was gently stroking mum’s hair because she was feeling distressed. The staff are so attentive.”
Relative, CQC 2023
50+ Years of Care
25 Beds
5 Good CQC Ratings
1 Previous Outstanding

What Families Say

In Their Own Words

“My father spent his last few months at Oaklands and every single member of the staff has been wonderful. We have nothing but praise for the treatment my father and the family have been given.”
Family member
“My mum has been at Oaklands for a year now. She is professionally cared for and professionally loved. Ultimately, she is safe, and she is happy. Staff are wonderful — with us her relatives, as well as with Mum.”
Family member
“Overall, our experience at Oaklands has been hugely positive and I’m deeply grateful for the wonderful care and attention my dad receives.”
Family member
“They’ve made a home for her rather than her being in a home.”
Family member, CQC Outstanding inspection 2018
“The staff are super, they really are lovely. The staff are so patient. Mum is like a new woman since she moved to Oaklands, she is even walking again!”
Relative, CQC inspection 2023
“They are really kind and caring.”
Resident, CQC inspection 2023

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

If your question is not answered here, please do not hesitate to call us on 01271 374231.

We offer residential care, specialist dementia care (including Alzheimer's), respite care, palliative care, convalescent care, day visits, and trial stays. Our small size of just 25 beds means every resident receives truly individual, person-centred attention.
Fees start from approximately £395 to £450 per week, depending on the level of care required. We accept private funding, Local Authority funding, and NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) funding. We are always happy to discuss funding options and help you navigate the process — just give us a call.
Our rooms do not have en-suite facilities. We have well-maintained shared bathrooms throughout the home, with staff always available to assist. Residents are welcome to bring their own furniture and personal belongings, choose how they decorate their room, and every room has a TV point — so it truly feels like your own space.
We are rated Good overall by the Care Quality Commission, with Good in all five categories: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive, and Well-Led. In 2018, we were rated Outstanding for Caring, when inspectors described our staff as “exceptionally caring.” That ethos has not changed.
We have a flexible, open visiting policy. Family and friends are welcome at any time — this is your loved one's home. We also offer overnight accommodation for visiting family members, so you can stay close whenever you need to.
Absolutely. We warmly welcome visits and encourage you to come and see us. We also offer trial stays so your loved one can experience life at Oaklands before making any long-term decisions. Please call us on 01271 374231 or use the contact form below to arrange a time.
Yes, pets are allowed by arrangement. We understand how important the bond between a person and their pet can be, and we do our best to accommodate them. Please speak to us about your specific situation and we will work together to find a solution.

Get in Touch

Arrange a Visit

The best way to understand Oaklands is to experience it. Come for a cup of tea, meet the residents and staff, and see for yourself why families trust us with the people they love most. No pressure, no obligation.

Contact Details

Address

Westfield Avenue, Sticklepath
Barnstaple, Devon
EX31 2DY

Telephone

01271 374231

Visiting

Flexible, open visiting policy.
Family welcome at any time.
Overnight accommodation available.

Location

Walking distance to Barnstaple town centre, shops, GP surgery, and bus stop.