What the CQC found at Hazeldown Care Home

People said staff were caring and supportive. Staff knew people's personalities and adapted their approach to individual needs.

“People were supported by kind and caring staff who knew them well and encouraged their independence.” from the report

People were involved in their care and had choices about how they lived. Staff supported individual interests and helped people maintain their independence.

“People received individualised and person-centred care that met their needs and preferences, this included the provision of appropriate activities.” from the report

Staff had access to a range of training and regular supervision. People were supported to access health professionals and manage health conditions.

“Staff were able to access a range of training which included both face to face training from the provider's own training co-ordinator as well as e-learning.” from the report

People and staff spoke positively about the management team. There was good teamwork and communication, with links to local community activities.

“There was a positive person-centred culture in the service.” from the report

Some important risks were not recorded or explained clearly enough for staff. This included people who accessed the community independently and a person showing distressed behaviour.

“Risk assessments did not always identify risk or provide enough written guidance for staff on how to manage identified risks.” from the report

The staffing tool was not being used effectively to decide how many staff were needed. A concern was raised about having only two staff during some afternoons.

“A staffing dependency tool was completed for each person in the service, however this was not being used effectively to help inform staffing levels in the service.” from the report

Audits were often simple tick lists and did not check the quality or accuracy of care records in enough detail. Some records were out of date or did not fully explain people's needs.

“There was a lack of effective quality monitoring systems in the service.” from the report

Medicines were managed safely overall, but records for topical medicines were not complete. The management team had already identified this and had a plan to address it.

“People's medicines administration charts were completed accurately, although we identified gaps in the records for the administration of topical medicines.” from the report

The home was clean, but dirty grouting and rust on moving and handling equipment increased the risk of infection control problems. The manager later said these areas had been dealt with.

“Some of areas of the home could benefit from updating and increased the risk of infection control issues.” from the report