Hazel Garth

Dates of assessment: 10 August to 13 August 2026. Hazel Garth is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 24 people over the age of 18 and people living with dementia. At the time of the inspection 19 people were living at the service.
The assessment was carried out in line with CQC’s assessment priorities.
Systems and processes were not always effective in ensuring people consistently received safe, personalised and well-monitored care. Although improvements had recently been made to care plans and risk assessments, records were not always accurate, complete or reflective of people’s current needs. Risks relating to health, nutrition, weight loss, and other ongoing health conditions were not always monitored effectively, and action was not always taken promptly when concerns were identified. Shortfalls in medicines management, safeguarding oversight and record keeping meant the provider could not always demonstrate people were receiving safe care.
People generally felt safe and safeguarding procedures were understood by staff. However, concerns were not always reported to external agencies in a timely way and opportunities to learn from incidents and embed improvements were not consistently demonstrated. Staffing arrangements did not always ensure enough suitably skilled staff were available to meet people's needs.
People were supported to maintain relationships and participate in activities within the home. However, opportunities for people to access the wider community were limited and people were not always able to engage in activities and experiences outside of the service in line with their preferences.
Leadership and governance arrangements were not consistently effective. Quality assurance systems had failed to identify several issues found during the assessment, including concerns relating to medicines management, care records, health monitoring and staffing oversight. Although managers responded positively to concerns raised during the assessment and had begun implementing improvements, governance systems had not ensured risks were identified, acted upon and sustained.
However, people living at Hazel Garth were supported by staff who were kind, caring and committed to promoting their wellbeing. People spoke positively about staff and told us they felt safe, respected and able to make choices about their daily lives. Staff knew people well and supported them in a way that recognised their individual preferences, backgrounds and wishes. People had access to healthcare services when needed, were supported with their medicines, and the service worked collaboratively with a range of healthcare professionals.