Laureate Court

Staff were knowledgeable about safeguarding and confirmed they had received training in this subject. They knew what actions to take if they suspected abuse.

People told us they were happy, and that staff were kind, caring and compassionate and all our observations confirmed this. People's physical and emotional needs were met. The provider had worked with external health and social care professionals to assess and review people's care in line with best practice guidance. People were supported to maintain their nutrition and hydration.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; however, systems in place required further development to ensure best interest decisions were made in line with current guidance.

Systems in place to monitor the service needed to be further developed and embedded into practice. Audits in place had not always identified the issues raised on inspection. Where some issues had been identified, action had been taken to resolve them. The registered manager and provider took swift actions to address the concerns we raised. The concerns did not impact on people who used the service.

A newly appointed registered manager was in post and had made some positive changes within the home. Since the registered manager had been in post, they had improved the audit system and their audits had identified shortfalls which had not been previously identified by the regional managers. There had been several changes and lack of consistency in regional managers, this evidenced a lack of provider oversight. The management team and staff knew their roles and responsibilities. People and relatives, we spoke with were complimentary about the management and staff team.

The home had recently undergone refurbishment and some areas required completion. The environment for people living with dementia could be improved to ensure signage and decoration of the home promoted their independence. The registered manager informed us that this had been identified and action was being

taken.

We were somewhat assured that the provider was promoting safety through the layout and hygiene practices of the premises. Following our inspection, the provider took action to address these concerns, which minimised the impact on people using the service.