The Laurels Care and Nursing Home

Updated 17 October 2019

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by two inspectors and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

The Laurels Care and Nursing Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well and any improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with eight people who used the service and three relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with seven members of staff including the registered manager, the activity coordinator, senior care workers, laundry staff, care workers, the cook, a nurse and the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.

We reviewed a range of records relating to the way the service was run. This included three people's care and medicines records, staff recruitment files, minutes from meetings, audits and maintenance checks and a sample of policies and procedures. We looked around the premises and grounds.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at records of provider monitoring visits and action plans.

Updated 17 October 2019

The Laurels Care and Nursing Home is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to for up to 27 people in an adapted building. The range of care needs includes older people, physical disabilities, mental health and people living with a dementia. At the time of the inspection 20 people were using the service.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People said they were satisfied with the variety and quality of the meals provided at the service. However, we found people's mealtime choices and offering a balanced diet could be better. We have therefore made a recommendation for improvement.

Some parts of the accommodation and outside areas needed improvement. The provider had plans in place to develop the service for people’s comfort and wellbeing. We have made a recommendation about re-furbishing the service in response to people’s needs.

People's needs were being assessed, planned for and reviewed. Each person had a care plan which was designed to meet their needs and choices. People were supported with their healthcare needs. Changes in people's health and well-being were monitored and responded to. Where necessary, people received appropriate medical attention.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People told us they felt safe at the service. We observed people were relaxed and content in the company of staff and managers. Recruitment records were being further developed, to show all the appropriate checks were carried out before staff started work. There were enough qualified staff available to provide safe care and support; staffing arrangements were kept under review. Staff were aware of the signs and indicators of abuse and they knew what to do if they had any concerns.

Health and safety was promoted, this included maintenance of the premises, servicing and checking systems. Risks to people's individual well-being were assessed and managed. Staff followed processes which aimed to manage people's medicines safely.

People made positive comments about the caring attitude of staff. They said their privacy and dignity was respected. We observed staff interacting with people in a kind, pleasant and friendly manner. Staff were respectful of people's choices and opinions.

There were opportunities for people to engage in a range of group and individual activities. Visiting arrangements were flexible, relatives and friends were made welcome at the service. Processes were in place to support people with making complaints. Complaints records and management systems were being further developed.

Management and leadership arrangements supported the effective day to day running of the service. The Laurels Care and Nursing Home had a welcoming and friendly atmosphere. The provider used a range of systems to regularly monitor and improve the service. Further systems were being introduced. There were processes to consult with people who used the service and others, to assess and monitor the quality of their experiences and make improvements.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at the last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 4 March 2017)

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating

Follow up: The next scheduled inspection will be in keeping with the overall rating. We will continue to monitor information we receive from and about the service. We may inspect sooner if we receive concerning information about the service.