We undertook an announced inspection on 11 October 2016. We gave the provider 24 hours’ notice of our intention to undertake an inspection. This was because the organisation was a small service and we needed to ensure that the people living at the home would be available.

The Laurels is registered to care for up to six people with mental health needs or learning disabilities. At the time of our inspection there were six people living at the service.

There was a registered manager for this service. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered providers and registered managers are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People said the staff and management team were caring and always treated them with dignity and respect. They explained how staff supported them to achieve their chosen goals which improved their well-being. Relatives told us they were involved as part of the team to support their family member. All the people we spoke with and the feedback collected by the service said how happy people were to be living at the home.

The management team had a clear ethos that people using the service were at the heart of everything they did. People told us they were important to the staff and the management team. They said they were regularly asked their views about if they were happy with the support they received. People who lived at the home had regular meetings where they could discuss any aspect of their support.

People we spoke with said they had support from regular staff who knew them well. Staff we spoke with recognised the different types of abuse. There were systems in place to guide staff in reporting any concerns. Staff were knowledgeable about how to manage people’s individual risks, these focussed on supporting people to achieve their goals. People were supported to receive their medicines by staff who were trained and knew about the risks associated with people’s medicines.

Staff had up to date knowledge and training to support people living at the home. Staff always ensured people agreed to the support they received. The management team regularly reviewed how people were supported to make decisions. People were encouraged to make their own choices about the food they ate. They explained that they were supported to make their own decisions and be as independent as they could. People and their relatives told us staff would access health professionals as soon as they were needed.

People and their relatives knew how to raise complaints and the management team had arrangements in place to ensure people were listened to and appropriate action taken. Staff were involved in regular meetings and one to one time with the management team to share their views and concerns about the quality of the service. People and staff said the management team were accessible and supportive to them. The staff team were adaptable to changes in peoples’ needs and knew people well to recognise when additional support was needed.

Staff we spoke with said the leadership from the registered manager was inspirational and motivated them to provide quality care for people living at the home.

The management team monitored the quality of the service in an open way. The registered manager ensured there was a culture of openness and inclusion for people using the service and staff. The management team had systems in place to identify improvements and action them in a timely way. The registered manager and the staff team had been nominated through the providers reward system for awards nationally.

People told us that they were happy living at the service. Their comments included “I like everything”, “The staff are nice” and “They are all nice people”. Relatives we spoke with were positive about the care their relatives received. Comments included “They have done wonders with my [relative]”, their relative has “become far more independent”, the service is “absolutely excellent”, “The staff are helpful” and “The manager is excellent”.

We saw that staff ensured that people’s privacy and dignity was upheld and we heard staff talk with people using respectful language. We saw that people were involved in making decisions about their care.

People received care that met their needs and promoted their rights. Advice and guidance was sought from health and social care professionals to be able to meet people's needs effectively and promote their welfare and safety.

There were systems in place to manage people’s medication effectively and we saw that people who took their medicine without support from staff had been assessed as being safe to do so.

Staff were supported to undertake their roles safely and effectively. They received relevant training, regular supervision and were encouraged to undertake further professional development. Staff told us that “It is a good team” and the manager was approachable.

There was a system in place to manage compliments and complaints and we saw that complaints had been responded to promptly.

People we spoke with told us that The Laurels had helped them to become more independent and to be able to do tasks such as cooking, cleaning their rooms and managing their own medication.

They said they liked living at the home and liked the staff.

People told us they were supported to go on holidays and to take part in activities of their choice.

One person told us “I like living here with a group of people and staff”.

People told us that they were encouraged to be independent and achieve goals that they had set. They said that they felt supported to access services in the community.

People said that their health and well being had improved since they had been at the service.

We were told by people that they felt that they were able to give their feedback about the service. They were confident to raise any issues with staff and felt listened to.