Laurel Bank Residential Care Home

Laurel Bank Residential Care Home provides accommodation and personal care for up to 51 older people across three floors in a single building. During the inspection, residents and relatives shared positive feedback about the staff and management, noting that there are always enough people around to help and that the environment feels secure. While the home demonstrates strong standards across the board, the inspection also highlighted several specific areas requiring attention, particularly regarding internal audits, environmental checks, and daily documentation.

Residents benefit from a safe environment where equipment is properly maintained, fire safety measures are up to date, and thorough pre-admission assessments are conducted. Staff understand safeguarding procedures, and robust recruitment processes are generally followed, though one missing reference was promptly resolved during the visit. However, health and safety checks failed to spot missing window restrictors on the first floor prior to the inspection, which were fixed immediately.

Care is delivered effectively by a team that understands individual needs, meets nutritional requirements, and coordinates well with external healthcare professionals, while fully adhering to the Mental Capacity Act and best-interest decisions. Although meals are generally well-received with good dietary support, some residents noted a lack of fresh fruit and vegetables, and staff were sometimes inconsistent in communicating hospital admissions to visiting professionals.

Residents experience warm, compassionate, and respectful interactions with staff who actively seek their consent and support them in maintaining personal choices. Care plans and daily routines reflect a person-centred approach where individuals are treated with dignity and kindness.

Care is tailored to individual preferences, offering personalised bedrooms and various communal areas, alongside a system that records and analyses accidents, complaints, and compliments to drive learning. While there is a regular programme of activities, residents expressed a desire for more things to do, prompting the management to look into new options.

Management and leadership require improvement because internal audit and health and safety systems were not robust enough to catch issues related to the environment, medication record-keeping, and infection control beforehand. Despite these oversight gaps in routine checks, the registered manager is approachable, supported by a staff team, and responsive to feedback for making improvements.