SafeAre people protected from abuse and avoidable harm?59%Requires improvement
See the breakdownHide the breakdown4 of 8 below good
Involving people to manage risksSignificant shortfalls
Learning cultureSome shortfalls
Medicines optimisationSome shortfalls
SafeguardingSome shortfalls
Infection prevention and controlGood
Safe and effective staffingGood
Safe environmentsGood
Safe systems, pathways and transitionsGood
EffectiveDoes care achieve good outcomes and a good quality of life?54%Requires improvement
See the breakdownHide the breakdown4 of 6 below good
Assessing needsSome shortfalls
Consent to care and treatmentSome shortfalls
Delivering evidence-based care and treatmentSome shortfalls
Monitoring and improving outcomesSome shortfalls
How staff, teams and services work togetherGood
Supporting people to live healthier livesGood
CaringAre staff kind, compassionate and respectful?65%Good
See the breakdownHide the breakdown2 of 5 below good
Independence, choice and controlSome shortfalls
Treating people as individualsSome shortfalls
Kindness, compassion and dignityGood
Responding to people's immediate needsGood
Workforce wellbeing and enablementGood
ResponsiveAre services organised to meet people's needs?64%Good
See the breakdownHide the breakdown3 of 7 below good
Listening to and involving peopleSome shortfalls
Person-centred careSome shortfalls
Planning for the futureSome shortfalls
Care provision, integration and continuityGood
Equity in accessGood
Equity in experiences and outcomesGood
Providing InformationGood
Well-ledIs the home well managed, with a culture of high-quality care?61%Requires improvement
See the breakdownHide the breakdown3 of 7 below good
Governance, management and sustainabilitySignificant shortfalls
Capable, compassionate and inclusive leadersSome shortfalls
Learning, improvement and innovationSome shortfalls
Freedom to speak upGood
Partnerships and communitiesGood
Shared direction and cultureGood
Workforce equality, diversity and inclusionGood
Percentages are CQC scores from its newer way of assessing homes. ?
CQC scored 33 standards: 17 good, 16 below good. Use “See the breakdown” on each key question for its standards. ?
CQC hasn't inspected this home for more than 5 years. It re-inspects based on risk, so an old rating doesn't count against a home on this site, but it may not reflect the home today. ?
Country Retirement & Nursing Homes Ltd runs The Laurels, a residential care home in Lowestoft, Suffolk with room for 7 residents. CQC registers it to look after older people, younger adults and people with a learning disability or autism. The typical home in Suffolk has 36 beds, so this one is on the small side.
CQC's latest rating, from January 2026, is Requires improvement overall. Safe, effective and well-led were also Requires improvement. For caring and responsive, the rating was Good. Its previous rating, in September 2018, was Good, so the home has slipped. That is more recent than most ratings in Suffolk, where the typical rating is about 4 years old. CQC found significant shortfalls in “involving people to manage risks”, one of 16 standards out of 33 scored below good.
In Suffolk, 81% of rated care homes are Good or Outstanding (England 82%). Its kitchen was rated 4 for food hygiene in January 2026. 92% of homes in Suffolk score the top mark of 5. About 0.9 km away, Blyford Residential Home is rated Good. It is one of 6 homes run by Country Retirement & Nursing Homes Ltd. 2 of those with a rating are Good or Outstanding.
