Updated 11 March 2025
The assessment was carried out between 13 March 2025 and 16 April 2025. We visited the home on 19 March and 27 March 2025. Hazelwell Lodge is a care home providing support for up to 50 older people. The home specialises in the care of people living with dementia. There were 48 people living at the home when we visited.
This was a responsive assessment prompted in part by a notification of an incident following which a person using the service sustained a serious injury. This incident is subject to further investigation and as a result this assessment did not examine the circumstances of the incident.
However, the information shared with CQC about the incident indicated potential concerns about the management of risk. This assessment therefore included examining risk management.
People were well cared for and protected from abuse and neglect. Staff had a good understanding of safeguarding and how to raise any concerns they may have. Risks were identified and were generally well managed. Some risk assessments would benefit from more detail to guide staff.
There were many checks carried out to make sure the environment remained safe. A maintenance team was onsite to carry out checks and repairs. We found some minor areas of concern. These were discussed and addressed during our visits.
There were enough experienced staff to care for people properly. Staff were well trained and well supported. People were supported by staff who had been recruited safely.
There was a cohesive, effective and confident management team who ran the service. There were quality assurance systems in place. A number of audits were carried out and surveys were used to gain feedback from people, relatives and staff.
Managers had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively. They did so with integrity and honesty. The management team had considered the diversity of needs in their staff team.
Staff had mixed views about culture in the staff team and in ‘speaking up’ about it. Some staff spoken with were very happy with the culture, describing it as “honest and open.” Other staff did not always feel they were treated equitably. Some staff did not always feel able to speak up about this, or if they did, they did not feel their voices were always heard. All staff told us this issue did not affect the quality of care provided to people. We could not find any adverse impact on people’s care.