Hazeldene House

Updated 11 June 2022

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by two inspectors and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

Hazeldene House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Hazeldene House is a care home with nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. This service is also a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own rooms.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. This means they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided. At the time of our inspection there was not a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. This included details about incidents the provider must notify us about, such as safeguarding concerns or serious injuries. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with five people who were living in the service and 27 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 18 members of staff including the deputy manager, nurses, care staff, housekeeping, chef, activity staff, the compliance manager and a visiting professional.

We reviewed a range of records. This included ten peoples’ care records and multiple medication records. A variety of records relating to the management of the service were reviewed, such as policies, recruitment records, training data, audits, monitoring data, quality reports and safety checks. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

Updated 11 June 2022

About the service

Hazeldene House is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal and nursng care for up to 75 people. The service provides support to people with complex nursing needs and those living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 35 people using the service.

Hazeldene House is also a domiciliary care service, providing personal care to people living in their own homes. These people live on the same premises and have a separate tenancy agreement for their accommodation. This service provides support to people with complex nursing needs and those living with dementia. At the time of our inspection 41 people were using the domiciliary care service. Everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided. The accommodation is arranged across three floors with lift access to all levels.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People told us they felt safe and were happy living in Hazeldene House. One person said, “The staff are excellent in every way.” Relatives agreed their loved ones were safe and happy. One said, “[Relative] loves the staff and they let me know if they have any concerns.” Another relative said, “[Relative] looks well, the room is spotless, and clothes are tidy; they seem very happy here.”

People received safe care and treatment from staff who knew them well. Medicines and infection control were both managed safely, and lessons were learned when things went wrong.

People were involved in decisions about their care and they received care which promoted their dignity and encouraged independence. Relatives told us they were involved in their relative’s care plans and were always kept up to date with any changes. One relative told us, “They always notify us of any incident however trivial.” Another relative said, “They contact me if anything happens, even at three in the morning.”

People enjoyed the food and their dietary needs and preferences were met, for example food intolerances such as lactose. People were offered a choice of meals, but there was always something else available if they didn’t like what was on offer. Relatives described the food as ‘excellent’ and ‘fantastic’. One relative told us their loved one had a food intolerance but said, “[Relative’s] never had a problem there.”

Effective quality assurance processes were in place to monitor the service and regular audits were undertaken. Staff had received appropriate training. At the time of our inspection the manager had recently left. A deputy manager was providing management oversight; staff found them supportive and approachable.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 10 July 2019) and there were breaches of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

Why we inspected

We carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection of this service on 25 and 26 April 2019. Breaches of legal requirements were found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve safe care and treatment and good governance.

We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions safe, effective, responsive and well led. For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Hazeldene House on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

During this inspection we carried out a separate thematic probe, which asked questions of the provider, people and their relatives, about the quality of oral health care support and access to dentists, for people living in the care home. This was to follow up on the findings and recommendations from our national report on oral healthcare in care homes that was published in 2019 called ‘Smiling Matters’. We will publish a follow up report to the 2019 'Smiling Matters' report, with up to date findings and recommendations about oral health, in due course.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.