CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at The Laurels
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People told inspectors they felt safe. Risks were assessed, medicines were checked, staffing was sufficient and infection control arrangements were found to be effective.
- Effective?
- Good
- People had individual care plans, suitable training and access to health professionals. Inspectors noted that food and fluid intake was recorded without targets to help analyse totals or identify concerns.
- Caring?
- Good
- People were treated kindly, with dignity and respect. They were involved in decisions about their care and supported to build independence.
- Responsive?
- Good
- This question was not inspected during this visit, so no rating was given for it in this report.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The home had a positive, person-centred culture and used audits, complaints and incident records to make improvements. Some relatives reported communication problems, and staff gave mixed views about how approachable the manager was.
What inspectors found, December 2023
The Laurels rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and effective rehabilitation, but the rating fell from Outstanding and some communication and record-keeping needed attention.
This was an unannounced focused inspection on 20 November 2023. One inspector and two Experts by Experience spoke with people, relatives, staff and professionals. They reviewed care, medicines, recruitment and quality records.
The home supports up to 12 people with acquired brain injuries and complex neurological conditions. Inspectors found people were safe, treated kindly and supported by staff who understood their needs. Care plans focused on people's goals, independence and rehabilitation.
The overall rating was Good. Safe, Effective, Caring and Well-led were all rated Good. The inspection did not assess Responsive. The overall rating changed from Outstanding at the previous inspection in 2017 based on this inspection and the rating carried forward for the question not inspected.
People felt safe
People said they felt safe and staff understood how to recognise and report abuse. Risks were assessed and equipment was provided to support safe mobility and independence.
“People told us they felt safe and were supported by a staff team who understood how to recognise abuse and were confident to report concerns.” from the report
Individual rehabilitation
Care plans reflected people's goals, preferences and pace. Staff worked with health professionals and supported people to regain skills and independence.
“They also took into account people's preferences and interests which were sometimes used in supporting people to re-learn skills and ensured their program was at their pace.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect. They were encouraged to speak up and take part in decisions about their care.
“People were supported to express their views and make decisions about their care.” from the report
Active quality monitoring
Managers used audits, complaints, accidents and incidents to identify improvements. Staff were encouraged to reflect and learn from events.
“Processes to assess and check the quality and safety of the service were completed.” from the report
Food and fluid records
needs fixingStaff recorded people's daily food and fluid intake, but there were no targets to help analyse totals or identify concerns. The manager said this would be reviewed, and inspectors found no impact on people at the time.
“Staff recorded daily, people's food and fluid intake, however there were no targets recorded, which meant staff had not taken action to analyse totals or identify concerns.” from the report
Communication with relatives
minorMost relatives felt involved, but some said they had not received updates when they could not attend meetings. They described communication as lacking and the service as somewhat disorganised.
“There has been a lack of communication and they are a bit disorganised.” from the report
Mixed staff views about management
minorStaff had different views about how approachable the manager was. All staff felt the manager could adapt their approach better to individual staff members and situations.
“All staff felt the registered manager would benefit from being able to adapt their approach to suit the learning style and needs of individual staff members and specific situations.” from the report
- 01How do you set and review food and fluid targets for each person?
- 02How will you make sure relatives receive updates if they cannot attend care review meetings?
- 03What changes have been made to improve communication between the manager and staff?
- 04How often are rehabilitation goals reviewed with the person, relatives and health professionals?
- 05Which CQC questions were not assessed during this focused inspection, and when will they next be reviewed?
This was a focused inspection of Safe, Effective, Caring and Well-led; Responsive was not inspected during this visit and the overall rating was calculated using the previous rating for the question not inspected. This explanation was written from the published report of 16 December 2023 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.
What inspectors found, September 2017
Rated Outstanding overall; inspectors found highly skilled, caring and well-led rehabilitation, with safe and responsive support.
This was an announced comprehensive inspection on 12 July 2017. Inspectors spoke with people living at the home, relatives, staff and health professionals. They observed care, reviewed three care records and checked staff, medicines and management records.
The home supports up to 12 people with acquired brain injuries and complex neurological conditions. Inspectors found personalised rehabilitation, skilled staff and close work with health and social care professionals. People were involved in their care plans and supported to make choices and build independence.
The home was rated Good for Safe and Responsive. It was rated Outstanding for Effective, Caring and Well-led. Overall, the rating improved from Good at the previous inspection in June 2015 to Outstanding.
Specialist rehabilitation
The home provided individual rehabilitation programmes aimed at helping people return to life in the community. Staff had training related to brain injury and other specialist needs.
“These are designed individually with the aim to support people to return to life in the community.” from the report
Skilled staff
Staff received structured induction, regular training and support to develop their skills. The home had also gained approved provider status with the national brain injury association.
“This meant people benefitted from the added assurance of knowing staff were skilled in providing appropriate specialist care services for brain injury survivors with complex physical and cognitive impairment.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors saw calm, unhurried support. Staff respected privacy, dignity and personal choices, and people were involved in decisions about their lives.
“We noted there was a consistently calm and caring atmosphere throughout the building.” from the report
Strong leadership
The management team promoted teamwork, listened to staff and used audits and incident reviews to improve the service. Staff said they felt supported and valued.
“A culture based on collaboration and team work had been established and maintained by the registered manager.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How would you assess and manage my relative's specific risks, including falls, distress or other risks linked to their brain injury?
- 02What specialist training have the staff supporting my relative completed, and how is it kept up to date?
- 03How would my relative be supported to make decisions, or to have decisions made in their best interests if needed?
- 04How often would my relative's care and rehabilitation plan be reviewed, and how would our family be involved?
- 05What rehabilitation goals and community activities could be considered for my relative?
This was an announced comprehensive inspection covering all five questions and the overall rating; no one was receiving the separate home care service at the time. This explanation was written from the published report of 1 September 2017 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.
Every inspection of The Laurels
3 rated inspections over 8 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- December 2023Goodcurrent ratingdown from OutstandingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- September 2017Outstandingup from GoodSafe: GoodEffective: OutstandingCaring: OutstandingWell-led: Outstanding
- July 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2014
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 18 July 2014.
Ratings and report dates from the Care Quality Commission, Open Government Licence v3.0. A home can also be visited without a new rating being published, so the timeline shows published inspections.
Weigh the report against the rest
Fees, photos and reviews from families
How to read CQC ratings and reports
What to check when you visit
9 live-in carers within about an hour of Lincolnshire
These are self-employed carers on PrimeCarers, the introductory agency that runs this directory. Each has a profile with their own rates and reviews from families, and you choose who to talk to.
8 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
“Martin was more than a carer, he managed the home and became my uncle's best friend, enriching his life during his last few years.”
“Magda was always positive and proactive about trying new things to keep dad busy. She also introduced new ideas for keeping dad healthy.”
Every carer has had an enhanced DBS check in the last 18 months, ID and right-to-work checks and an online interview. Their skills and training are for you to check with them. Carers set their own rates, and who is free changes week to week.