CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at The Hazelwell
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, March 2023
Rated Good overall, but inspectors found that medicines records and some safety checks still needed improvement.
This was an unannounced follow-up inspection on 27 February and 3 March 2023. Inspectors looked mainly at safety and leadership, including medicines, risk management, infection control, staffing and records. They spoke with people living at the home, relatives, staff and professionals, and reviewed care, medicines, recruitment and management records.
The home had improved since its previous inspection. Infection control was much better, the home appeared clean, accidents and incidents were managed appropriately, and there were enough staff on duty during the visit. People were seen receiving kind, patient and responsive support.
Safety was rated Requires Improvement because staff did not always record medicines, thickener or creams correctly, and some monitoring records were incomplete. Recruitment records and medicines competency checks also needed improvement. Well-led was rated Good, and the provider was no longer in breach of the regulations identified at the previous inspection.
The overall rating changed from Requires Improvement to Good. However, this does not mean every part of the service was rated Good. The Safe key question remained Requires Improvement.
Improved infection control
Inspectors found that infection control had improved significantly and that the home appeared clean. Relatives described it as very hygienic.
“All relatives we spoke with told us they thought The Hazelwell was "Spotlessly clean and very hygienic.” from the report
Kind and patient care
Inspectors saw staff supporting people in a caring, responsive and patient way. People appeared comfortable around staff.
“We saw that people were comfortable in the presence of staff.” from the report
People felt safe and supported
People spoken to said they felt safe and could come and go according to the home's signing-in and signing-out arrangements. Safeguarding training and reporting systems were in place.
“I feel safe living here, I enjoy being able to go out, as long as I sign in and out for safety reasons.” from the report
More open leadership
The management team was open with inspectors about the home's problems and acted on issues during the visit. Audits and quality checks had improved.
“The manager and area manager were open and transparent and discussed in depth with inspectors the issues they had identified with the service, and how they were addressing immediate concerns.” from the report
Medicine records
seriousStaff did not always record when paracetamol was given. They also did not always record when thickener or topical creams had been used, creating a risk that care or medicines could be missed or repeated.
“Staff did not always record the times when medicines containing paracetamol were administered.” from the report
Incomplete monitoring
needs fixingSome nutrition and fluid monitoring charts were incomplete. This meant there was not always a full record of people's care and health monitoring.
“There were improvements however there continued to be gaps in people's monitoring information, for example nutrition and fluid intake charts.” from the report
Recruitment records
needs fixingMost recruitment information was available, but DBS records did not clearly show whether checks were enhanced or had a clear result. The report recommended that the provider update this practice.
“The way the provider recorded DBS checks did not reflect whether the check was enhanced, or if the result was clear.” from the report
Agency staffing
minorThere were enough staff on duty during the inspection, but the home was using a high number of agency staff. The provider had plans to reduce this.
“The provider was currently using a high number of agency staff.” from the report
Medicine competency checks
needs fixingStaff had medicine competency assessments, but inspectors found that these checks were not robust enough. The report recommended recognised guidance and regular audits.
“These checks were not robust and we saw evidence that improvements could be made.” from the report
- 01How do you now check that paracetamol times, thickener and topical creams are recorded every time?
- 02How do you monitor people's nutrition and fluid intake when charts are incomplete?
- 03What changes have you made to medicine competency checks and how often are they audited?
- 04How are you reducing the use of agency staff, and what will staffing look like for my relative?
- 05Has the new manager completed the application to register with CQC, and how are recent management changes being embedded?
This was an unannounced follow-up inspection focused on Safe and Well-led; the report says ratings for key questions not inspected were carried over from the last inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 28 March 2023 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.
What inspectors found, February 2022
The Hazelwell: targeted inspection found good infection-control practice, but the service was not rated.
Inspectors visited on 3 February 2022 after receiving concerns about infection prevention and control. The visit was announced with two hours’ notice and also considered staffing pressures linked to COVID-19.
Inspectors found staff had infection-control training and used protective equipment correctly. The home was clean, regular testing was in place, and visitors were checked for temperature, vaccination status and testing.
The home had an up-to-date infection-control policy, regular audits and arrangements for safe admissions and visiting. The service was inspected but not rated, so this report does not give an overall quality rating.
Trained staff using PPE
Staff had infection-control training, and their skills in putting on and removing protective equipment were checked. Inspectors found that staff wore appropriate protective equipment.
“People were supported by staff who had received infection, prevention and control (IPC) training, had their competencies assessed and reviewed regarding donning and doffing of PPE.” from the report
High standards of cleanliness
The home was cleaned regularly and inspectors found it clean, with no unpleasant smells.
“The service was cleaned to a high standard, cleaning of all areas had been completed regularly. The home appeared clean with no odours.” from the report
Regular oversight
The infection-control policy was up to date and audits were used to check that procedures were being followed.
“The provider's infection control policy was up to date and the registered manager completed regular IPC audits to maintain oversight and ensure correct procedures were in place and being completed.” from the report
Safe visiting arrangements
The home supported contact with friends and family through visiting rooms and outdoor areas. Visitors had temperature, vaccination-status and testing checks.
“People were supported to stay in contact with friends and family. The service had multiple rooms for visiting and external areas to meet outside.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are infection-control skills and PPE use checked for new and existing staff now?
- 02How are COVID-19-related staffing pressures affecting staffing levels and people’s care today?
- 03What testing and vaccination checks are currently required for staff, professionals and visitors?
- 04How are infection-control audits carried out, and can families see the most recent findings?
- 05How are visits arranged now, including visits for relatives who cannot meet outdoors?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control, with questions about staffing pressures; the service was inspected but not rated and the other four areas were not assessed in this report. This explanation was written from the published report of 18 February 2022 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.
Every inspection of The Hazelwell
4 rated inspections over 6 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- March 2023Goodcurrent ratingSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2022Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- August 2021Requires improvementstayed Requires improvementSafe: InadequateWell-led: Requires improvement
- November 2019Requires improvementdown from GoodSafe: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- April 2017GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- June 2016
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 20 June 2016.
Ratings and report dates from the Care Quality Commission, Open Government Licence v3.0. A home can also be visited without a new rating being published, so the timeline shows published inspections.
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40 live-in carers within about an hour of Wirral
These are self-employed carers on PrimeCarers, the introductory agency that runs this directory. Each has a profile with their own rates and reviews from families, and you choose who to talk to.
Most charge £980 to £1,230 a week. 37 can care for a couple. 8 years' experience on average.
“It was clear that she genuinely cared and her warm approach really helped put our minds at ease.”
“He developed a close affinity with Terence, spending time talking with him before he retired to bed and looking after his needs during the night.”
Every carer has had an enhanced DBS check in the last 18 months, ID and right-to-work checks and an online interview. Their skills and training are for you to check with them. Carers set their own rates, and who is free changes week to week.