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CQC report explained · a residential care home, run by Country Court Care

The Laurels

Westfield Lane, Draycott, Cheddar, BS27 3TN

Goodpublished 23 August 2023, 3 years ago

Rated Good: inspectors found the service performing well and meeting their expectations.

The five questions inspectors ask
Safe?
Good
Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines management, regular safety checks and suitable infection control measures. They identified risks from uncovered radiators and exposed pipes, and the provider took immediate action.
Effective?
Good
This question was not inspected during this focused visit. Its previous rating was used when calculating the overall rating.
Caring?
Good
This question was not inspected during this focused visit. Its previous rating was used when calculating the overall rating.
Responsive?
Good
This question was not inspected during this focused visit. Its previous rating was used when calculating the overall rating.
Well-led?
Good
Inspectors found a friendly, open culture, good teamwork and systems for checking quality and safety. Audits had not identified the risks from hot surfaces, but action was taken.
The latest report, explained

What inspectors found, August 2023

Rated Good; inspectors found kind, well-organised care, but identified and promptly addressed risks from hot surfaces.

This was an unannounced focused inspection on 17 and 18 July 2023. Inspectors spoke with people, relatives, staff and professionals. They also reviewed care records, medicines records, recruitment files and management checks.

The home was rated Good overall. Safe and Well-led were both rated Good. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines practices, good infection control, and systems for monitoring quality and safety. People were described as happy and well cared for.

Inspectors found some uncovered radiators and exposed pipes, which created risks from hot surfaces. The risk assessment was not sufficient, but the provider acted immediately. Inspectors also highlighted changes to the laundry area to reduce clutter and improve infection control.

This inspection only assessed Safe and Well-led. The ratings for Effective, Caring and Responsive were carried forward from the previous inspection, when the overall rating was also Good.

What inspectors praised
  • Kind, personalised care

    People received person-centred support from caring staff who knew them well. People and relatives described the home as friendly, happy and welcoming.

    People received person centred care and support by caring staff who knew them well.from the report
  • Enough staff

    The home had no current staff vacancies and did not use agency staff. Inspectors found staff responded quickly to people's needs.

    The home was well staffed. There were no current vacancies, and the service did not use any agency staff.from the report
  • Medicines managed safely

    Medicines were stored and given safely. Records were completed accurately, and staff had training and competency checks.

    Medicines were stored and administered safely.from the report
  • Positive atmosphere

    Inspectors saw positive interactions between staff and people. Staff worked well together and people and relatives felt able to raise concerns.

    The home was welcoming, happy and friendly. We observed positive interactions between staff and people.from the report
  • Community links

    The home involved people in community activities and worked with local organisations and health and social care professionals.

    The service was part of the local community, engaging with local religious and educational organisations.from the report
What inspectors were concerned about
  • Hot surface risks

    serious

    Some radiators were uncovered and pipes were exposed. The risk assessment did not fully protect people, although the provider acted immediately to address this.

    People were not protected from the risks from hot surfaces. There were some uncovered radiators and exposed pipes.from the report
  • Laundry area changes

    needs fixing

    Inspectors identified clutter in the laundry area and said changes would help improve infection control. The provider later sent a plan for modifications.

    We highlighted where changes would be beneficial in the laundry area to reduce clutter and promote better infection control practice.from the report
Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01What immediate action was taken to cover the radiators and exposed pipes?
  2. 02Has the risk assessment for hot surfaces now been reviewed and updated?
  3. 03Have the planned changes to the laundry area been completed?
  4. 04How are checks now made to ensure hot surface risks are included in safety audits?
  5. 05Which ratings for Effective, Caring and Responsive are being carried forward from the 2018 inspection?

This was a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led only; the ratings for Effective, Caring and Responsive carried over from the previous inspection in 2018. This explanation was written from the published report of 23 August 2023 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.

The story over the years

Every inspection of The Laurels

2 rated inspections over 5 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.

  1. August 2023Goodcurrent ratingstayed Good
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good

    Read what inspectors found at The Laurels

  2. August 2018Good
    Safe: GoodWell-led: Good

    We are reading this report · the original is on cqc.org.uk

  3. July 2017

    Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 6 July 2017.

Ratings and report dates from the Care Quality Commission. A service can also be visited without a new rating being published, so the timeline shows published inspections, not every contact the CQC has had with the service.

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