Archived: The Laurels Residential Care Home

This residential care home is owned by CLS Care Homes Limited and is registered to provide personal care for up to 40 adults within the home. The home is divided into 3 ‘households’ and offers residential care, dementia care, respite and day care facilities. The home is situated in Winsford, Cheshire. Car parking is available to the side of the property.

The previous inspection was undertaken in July 2013 and the service had met the regulations in place at that time.

There is a registered manager in place at this service. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People told us that the staff were friendly and kind and that the care provided was good. Comments included “The staff are lovely”, “They [staff] are kind and helpful” and “I like the staff”. Relatives confirmed that their family members were well cared for and that they had no complaints or concerns regarding the service. People told us that the food was good and that they enjoyed the meals.

Systems were in place to keep people safe. These included safe medicines management procedures and assessing and minimising risks to people around the home.

Safe recruitment practices were in place that ensured appropriate checks were carried out prior to a member of staff starting their role. This also helped ensure that only suitable staff were employed by the service.

People were supported by staff who received regular training and support for their role. This helped to ensure that people received safe and effective care and support from a well-trained staff team.

Care plans showed what care and support people needed and were available and up to date. These plans contained specific and detailed information about individuals’ that staff needed to know when they were supporting them.

People were asked about their views of the service and audits were completed by the registered manager to ensure that the systems in place measured the success of the service and identified areas for improvement.

People benefited from having access to the services of health care professionals which included GPs, general nurses, opticians and chiropodists.

A complaints procedure was in place and people told us that if they needed to complain they felt they would be listened to. No complaints had been received about or by the service.

We toured the home and saw the communal areas and a selection of bedrooms. The home was clean and free from offensive odours. We noted some areas which needed attention and these were discussed with the registered manager who said they would action them. We saw that areas for people living with dementia had not been designed or developed specifically for their needs and a recommendation was made regarding this.

We found that fire alarms were tested weekly with fire drills also taking place on a weekly basis. Discussions with staff demonstrated they were knowledgeable of the fire safety procedures the service had in place and knew what to do in the event of an emergency. Records showed that training in fire safety was current for members of staff.

We found that the people who used the service were supported by staff that had suitable skills and competencies. The staff records we examined contained copies of the relevant qualifications for each staff member in line with the role they were undertaking.

We found that people were given the right information about who to complain to if they weren't happy or if they had any concerns about the service. The complaints procedure was clearly displayed in the reception area of the home.

We found that care plans and risk assessments were evaluated on a monthly basis or sooner if required. Staff spoken with understood their responsibilities so that records were kept accurate and fit for purpose.