Laurel Court

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

Caring – this means we looked for evidence that the provider involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good.

This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The provider always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

People looked happy, comfortable and relaxed around managers and staff. Interactions were warm, compassionate, friendly and kind. Staff were attentive, reassured people and listened to what they had to say. We observed staff engaging with people throughout the building. People were supported to express themselves as individuals, which showed staff had built trusting relationships with them.

People’s feedback was overwhelmingly positive about their experience living at Laurel Court. One told us, “I’ve lived here 13 years and I’m happy here”.

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

People’s care records included information about their interests, cultural and religious needs, and preferences for personal relationships. We observed people were free to spend their time doing activities they enjoyed, which included crafting, watching their favourite films and going out on walks. The registered manager told us how staff support people who have personal relationships to attend date nights with their partners.

People were encouraged to be uniquely themselves. We observed people’s bedrooms reflected people as individuals in decoration and personal possessions.

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

Some people attended day centres where they engaged with friends and group activities, others undertook voluntary work, attended college to learn skills and independently accessed the local community.

Staff told us they strongly encouraged people to be as independent as possible, which included people being involved with their medication administration, personal care, meal preparation and cleaning.

People moved freely around Laurel Court and had fobs to allow them to spend their time as they wished, with no unnecessary restrictions. People accessed the community flexibly, in line with their own wishes, and positive risk taking was encouraged supported by appropriate risk assessments.

One person told us, “Staff let me do what I want, within reason”.

The provider listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

Staff knew people well, were aware of potential triggers that may induce anxiety or distress and understood their behaviours. Staff told us they knew how to escalate any immediate concerns appropriately and sought medical advice when required. This ensured people received timely and appropriate support to meet their immediate needs.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Regular team meetings were held, which helped to promote effective communication and support staff wellbeing. Staff told us they could approach the registered manager for support at any time and felt they could make suggestions and be heard.

All staff we spoke with provided positive feedback and said they felt supported by the registered manager and provider. A staff member told us, “I'm very proud to have worked here this long. I enjoy getting involved in all the communal activities. It’s a good job”.