- Care home
The Laurels Care Home
Assessment report published 30 June 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
About the service
The Laurels Care Home is a residential care home which consists of 2 separate units and can accommodate up to 51 people. At the time of our assessment there were 49 people living at the service.
Who the service is for
The service provides support for older people, people living with dementia and people with physical disabilities.
Key findings
We carried out this assessment on 15 June 2026. This service was previously rated good and we carried out this assessment to confirm whether the rating of good remains accurate. This report does not provide detailed information on areas where we found practice continues to meet a good standard. Instead, our findings focus on any areas where the service needs to improve or where we found exceptional practice.
There was a learning culture in the service where accidents and incidents were recorded, reviewed and analysed. Lessons learned were identified and shared with members of staff to support continuous improvement.
There were clear processes in place to share concerns about safety. People told us they felt safe and care and support was delivered in line with their needs. A member of staff told us, “If I suspected abuse, I would look out for the signs of abuse, record the facts and report the suspected abuse to my manager in detail. I keep people safe by implementing the designated care plans and risk assessments and also by implementing the training I received from the organisation aimed at caring for people. I would report to my manager if I witnessed any abuse. The safety of the people I look after is important and their wellbeing comes first.” People can only be deprived of their liberty to receive care and treatment with appropriate legal authority. In care homes, this can be done through a procedure called the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), which is part of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). We checked whether the service was working within the principles of the MCA and how they managed DoLS. We found members of staff and the management team worked within the principles of the MCA. DoLS authorisations were appropriately applied for and overseen. People were not subject to unlawful or excessive restrictions; they had choice, control and freedom over their lives.
People’s care plans were person-centred and regularly reviewed and updated. Care plans and risk assessments gave accurate information which supported the delivery of safe care. We observed people’s care being delivered in line with their care plans.
The care environment was clean and well-maintained. Appropriate checks and reviews of service and equipment were carried out in line with national standards and expectations.
Members of staff were recruited safely and were well-trained and supported by the provider and the management team. Teams of staff were deployed effectively throughout the care home and were able to respond to people’s needs quickly.
There were good processes in place to manage the administration of medicines safely. Regular reviews and checks provided assurances people received their medicines as prescribed.
People were provided with a choice of meal options which were nutritious and well-prepared. Members of staff were knowledgeable about people who required fortified or specialised diets. Where people needed specialist support for eating and drinking, referrals were made appropriately.
Members of staff were kind and caring. They knew the people they supported, and care was delivered with dignity and respect. People were encouraged to make choices and decisions about their care to support their independence. A relative told us, “[Family member] gets themself dressed and [staff] only assist if needed. [Family member] likes to play bingo and go to the coffee mornings and keep fit. They do not like to sit in the lounge and gossip. [Family member] can make lots of choices, like not going to the lounge and deciding to potter around in their room. [Family member] is up at 6am and [staff] give them a cup of tea.”
Care and support were person-centred and there were regular opportunities for people to be involved in discussions and meetings where their feedback about care and activities was used to make improvements to the delivery of care and support.
The registered manager and the management team were dedicated to supporting the delivery of high-quality care and support to people. There was a clear system of oversight and governance in place to ensure care was delivered effectively and appropriately. The management team were skilled, approachable, and acted with integrity. We heard from people about how good and involved the registered manager was in their care and well-being. A relative said, “The registered manager is great. They are lovely and we can chat to them.” A member of staff told us, “The registered manager gives great support to staff. They are very approachable and will listen if you have any problems and to any ideas you have. I am happy and privileged to work with such a great a team of cares staff and managers.”
People's experience of this service
People and their families were very happy with the care and supported provided at The Laurels Care Home. People’s families felt they were also included under the umbrella of care provided at the service. We heard members of staff and the management team were genuinely caring, empathetic, patient and supportive. Members of staff were described as ‘lovely, wonderful people’ and the registered manager was described as ‘such a gentleman’.
Members of staff encouraged people to maintain their independence and mobility. We observed people were involved in the range of different activities, whilst people’s decisions not to join in, were also respected. People told us the food was good and some people had begun eating well once more. Relatives considered their family members were happy and they themselves had peace of mind. One person told us, “I am very happy and safe living here. I am supported to be independent.”
We heard people were happy with the safe care they received and members of staff were knowledgeable in how to support people. Relatives told us members of staff were attentive to the needs of family members. A relative said, “We are very happy with the care. [Staff] just have time for people and have a chat and will offer an alternative for lunch and offer them with another option. They keep an eye on [family member’s] sugar levels and the diabetic nurse visits.”
We did not hear any concerns regarding safety and people and their families felt able to go to the registered manager or any member of staff and considered they would be helped and any issues would be addressed and resolved. A relative said, “The registered manager and staff are very approachable, and they help me so much and listen to me. [Family member’s] skin was dry and I told them and the cream was there the next day and they did it within 2 days.”
Care and support were delivered with dignity and respect. A relative told us, “[Family member] is treated with the right amount of respect and dignity and staff know what they want and know how to keep [family member] happy. We sit in a quieter room and watch TV and cuddle. If [family member] needs to go to the toilet then staff take them and bring them back to me and their dignity is respected.” We observed care and support being delivered kindly and with compassion by knowledgeable and well-trained members of staff.
People were supported to do things they chose and liked to do. People were supported and encouraged to make choices about what to wear, whether to have lie in and what to do and eat.
People said they felt able and confident to raise a concern or a complaint and thought they would be listened to and action would be taken to resolve things. The registered manager was described as a lovely person who was very supportive and helpful to people and their relatives. A relative told us, “I would feel very able to raise any concerns. If I don’t like what is happening, then I would sort it out. I think [the registered manager] is very loving and understanding. I think they are very emotionally aware and would help me.” Another relative said, “I can go and say anything I want to and know [the registered manager] will listen to me and sort anything out.”