Laurel Lodge Care Home

Updated 12 September 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 team consisted of one inspector 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

Laurel Lodge is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a 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 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

Before the inspection visit to Laurel Lodge, we reviewed the information we held about the home and the provider. This included any notifications the registered manager had sent us and information we had received from members of the public about the quality of care being provided. We also reviewed the information the provider had sent to us in their Provider Information Return. Providers are required to send us key information about their service, what they do well and improvements they plan to make. We obtained feedback from the local authority who were a commissioner of the service. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with seven people who lived in Laurel Lodge and five relatives about their experience of the care provided. We also spoke with seven members of staff including a regional manager who represented the provider, the registered manager, care workers and kitchen staff.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to their training and supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the home were also reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the registered manager to validate evidence found. We looked at staff rotas and analysis of call bell response times that the registered manager sent to us after the inspection visit.

Updated 12 September 2019

About the service

Laurel Lodge is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care to older adults. The service can support up to 32 people. Accommodation is provided over two floors with the communal facilities including a dining room and lounge areas, found on the ground floor. At the time of our inspection visit, 26 people lived at Laurel Lodge.

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

People told us they were happy with the care provided at Laurel Lodge. They said the staff were kind and caring and that they were treated with respect. Our observations on the day of our inspection visit confirmed this. There were enough staff working on each shift to keep people safe and people said the care received met their individual needs and preferences.

People received their medicines when they needed them. Staff acted to reduce risks to people’s safety as much as possible, whilst respecting people’s choice to take risks if they could make this decision themselves. People were respected as individuals and were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives. Staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests where necessary.

People were involved as partners in their care and their consent to their care had been obtained in line with relevant legislation. They were consulted about the running of the service and their opinions were highly valued and acted upon to improve the quality of care they received.

Staff had received enough training and supervision to be competent in their roles. They provided people with safe care. They were encouraged to complete further training to enhance their knowledge within health and social care.

People told us they enjoyed the food and drink that was on offer and that they received enough to meet their needs. They were supported with their health and the service worked well with other services, professionals and the community to enhance people’s wellbeing.

There was a varied programme of activities that people could participate in if they wished. The culture of the home was open, and the management team and staff did everything possible to make people feel appreciated, valued and comfortable.

Good leadership was in place. They ensured staff felt valued and supported and that the care people received was of good quality. They monitored the quality of care provided and had learnt lessons when things had gone wrong to continually improve the care people received.

Rating at last inspection (and update)

The last rating for this service was Good (published February 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

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