CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at The Laurels Residential and Nursing Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People were protected from abuse, avoidable harm and infection. Inspectors found regularly reviewed risk assessments, safe recruitment and medicines management, but saw one person unable to reach their call bell when no staff were upstairs.
- Effective?
- Good
- Care plans were regularly updated and people had access to health professionals. Staff were trained and supported, and people's consent and dietary needs were considered.
- Caring?
- Good
- People were treated with dignity, respect and kindness. They were involved in decisions about their care, and relatives were involved where appropriate.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care was planned around people's needs and preferences. People could maintain relationships and take part in activities, and the home had investigated and resolved a complaint.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The manager was open to feedback and had systems for audits and improvement. However, people had not been consulted about menu choices and call bells were not always answered promptly.
What inspectors found, March 2022
The Laurels Residential and Nursing Home was rated Good; inspectors found kind, safe care but some concerns about staffing, call bells and menu choices.
This was the home’s first inspection. It was unannounced and took place on 09 March 2022. Inspectors spoke with five people, nine staff and reviewed care, medicines, recruitment and management records.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found clean premises, good infection control, regularly reviewed care plans, safe medicines practice and staff who treated people with kindness and dignity.
There were some shortfalls. At lunchtime, no staff were upstairs and one person could not reach their call bell. Menus were planned corporately without consulting people, and call bells were not always answered promptly. The home was working on these issues.
Infection control
The home was clean and staff used and changed protective equipment appropriately. Inspectors were assured that the home could prevent and manage infection outbreaks.
“People were protected from the spread of infection, the service was clean and staff wore personal protective equipment which they changed regularly.” from the report
Safe medicines
Medicines were stored and given safely by trained nurses. The manager carried out regular checks to identify errors and reduce risks.
“Medicines were stored safely and administered by trained nurses.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
People told inspectors that staff and managers were kind. Staff understood people's preferences and supported their dignity, privacy and independence.
“People were treated with dignity, respect and kindness.” from the report
Staff coverage upstairs
seriousAt lunchtime, there were no staff upstairs and one person needed help but could not reach their call bell. The manager said this would be corrected immediately.
“at lunchtime we observed there were no staff upstairs and one person required assistance and was unable to reach their call bell.” from the report
Call bell response
seriousInspectors said call bells were not always answered quickly. They asked the manager to monitor response times.
“At times call bells were not always answered in a timely manner.” from the report
Menu choices
needs fixingPeople were not consulted about what they wanted to eat and drink because menus were planned corporately. Inspectors said this was not person-centred.
“There was no consultation with people regarding the menu choice.” from the report
Electronic medicine records
needs fixingProtocols for medicines taken when needed had not yet been added to the electronic medicines system. Paper records were still available while the information was being added.
“There was an electronic record for medicines and the PRN protocols had not been added” from the report
- 01What staffing arrangements are now in place to make sure someone is always available upstairs at lunchtime and at other busy times?
- 02How do you monitor call bell response times, and what were the recent results?
- 03How can residents and relatives now influence the menus and daily food choices?
- 04Have all protocols for medicines taken when needed been added to the electronic medicines system?
This was the first inspection of the newly registered home and covered all five key questions, including infection prevention and control and COVID-19 vaccination requirements. This explanation was written from the published report of 29 March 2022 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, March 2021
Inspected but not rated; inspectors were assured that infection prevention and control arrangements were in place.
This was an announced, targeted inspection on 25 February 2021. It looked at how the home was prepared to prevent and control COVID-19 infections.
Inspectors found clear safety notices, planned visiting arrangements, social distancing measures and appropriate protective equipment. The home also had testing arrangements for people and staff, including checks before new admissions.
Inspectors were assured about the home's cleaning, hygiene, outbreak planning and infection control policy. They also found ways to support communication with people who had hearing impairments and support for staff wellbeing.
The home was inspected but not rated. This report does not give an overall quality rating or ratings for the other areas of care.
Planned visiting
The home used a booking system to control visitor numbers and allow time to clean between visits. Indoor and garden visiting areas were also used.
“There was a booking system in place to stagger visitors and visiting times.” from the report
Protective equipment
Staff used protective equipment during personal care, including masks, eye protection, gloves and aprons.
“Staff wore a fluid repellent surgical mask, eye protection, gloves and apron when delivering personal care to people.” from the report
Testing and admissions
There was a COVID-19 testing system for staff and residents. People were tested before admission from hospital or the community.
“There was a COVID-19 testing scheme in place for all staff and people living at the home.” from the report
Cleaning
The manager worked with cleaning staff to monitor cleaning against national COVID-19 guidance. Inspectors found that cleaning staff understood their products and responsibilities.
“Cleaning staff demonstrated a very good knowledge of the cleaning products they used and the importance of their role in keeping people safe.” from the report
Communication support
Clear masks were available for people who needed to lip read, helping staff and visitors communicate with them.
“Clear masks were available in the home for staff or visitors to use when they spoke with people who had a hearing impairment and lip read to aid communication.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are visits currently booked, managed and cleaned between visitors?
- 02How do you test people and staff now, and what happens before a new resident moves in?
- 03How do you check that staff use protective equipment correctly during personal care?
- 04How often is the infection prevention and control policy reviewed and updated?
- 05What communication support is available for people who lip read or have hearing impairments?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control measures during the coronavirus pandemic; it did not rate the overall service or the other care areas. This explanation was written from the published report of 6 March 2021 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 Residential and Nursing Home
4 rated inspections over 7 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- March 2022Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at The Laurels Residential and Nursing Home →
- March 2021Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
Read what inspectors found at The Laurels Residential and Nursing Home →
- November 2017Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- September 2015Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2015Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- July 2020
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 6 July 2020.
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.
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