Hazelwell Lodge

What families say

Some families have found real comfort in how staff interact with their loved ones here. The care team's friendly, approachable manner helps create connections with residents, particularly those living with dementia who benefit from familiar faces and warm interactions.

Based on 10 Google reviews · 0 reviews on carehome.co.uk · most recent 2026-04-10

The eight family priority themes

• Staff warmth72
• Compassion & dignity72
• Cleanliness70
• Activities & engagement65
• Food quality65
• Healthcare68
• Management & leadership73
• Resident happiness70

What inspectors found

Inspected 2020-01-29 · Report published 2020-01-29 · Inspected 4 times in the last three years

• Is this home safe?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The inspection rated this domain Good. Beyond the rating itself, the published report text does not contain specific detail on staffing ratios, falls management, medicines administration, infection control practice, or incident learning processes. A Good rating in this domain indicates that inspectors were satisfied with safety arrangements at the time of the visit in March 2025, but the basis for that judgement is not described in the available text.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"A Good safety rating is reassuring, but it tells you less than you might hope without the supporting detail. Good Practice evidence from the IFF Research and Leeds Beckett rapid review highlights that night staffing is where safety most commonly slips in care homes, particularly those supporting people with dementia. With 50 beds and a dementia specialism, you need to know exactly how many staff are on duty overnight and whether those are permanent employees or agency cover. Our family review data shows that staff attentiveness accounts for 14% of positive reviews, meaning families who feel reassured tend to have seen consistent, familiar faces caring for their parent. The inspection confirms the home met the bar; your job on a visit is to go deeper.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett rapid evidence review found that agency staff reliance is a consistent risk factor for safety incidents, because unfamiliar workers cannot read the subtle behavioural changes that signal distress or deterioration in people with dementia.","watch_out":"Ask the manager: how many staff are on duty between 10pm and 6am, and what proportion of those shifts were covered by agency staff in the last four weeks? Request the actual rota rather than a template."}

  Verified by inspectorMentioned, not assessed

• Is the care effective?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The inspection rated this domain Good. The published report text does not include specific findings on care plan quality, GP access arrangements, dementia training content, nutrition and hydration monitoring, or how the home adapts care as needs change. The home is registered to care for people with dementia and mental health conditions, which means effective practice in these areas is particularly important.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Effectiveness in a dementia-specialist home means more than passing a box-check. The Good Practice evidence base identifies care plans as living documents that should be updated whenever your parent's needs or preferences shift, not just annually. Food quality is also a meaningful indicator: 20.9% of positive family reviews in our data mention food by name, and people with dementia are at high risk of unintentional weight loss if meals are not actively monitored and adapted. You cannot assess any of this from the published report text alone, so the visit is essential. Ask to see a sample care plan, with personal details removed, and look for whether it describes the person rather than the diagnosis.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett review found that dementia-specific training content, particularly non-verbal communication and behaviour as communication, is a stronger predictor of care quality than general care training hours alone.","watch_out":"Ask the manager what dementia training staff complete, when it was last updated, and whether it covers behaviour as communication specifically. Then ask how recently your parent's care plan would be reviewed after a significant change such as a fall or a hospital admission."}

  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The inspection rated this domain Good. The published report text does not contain direct inspector observations of staff interactions, resident or relative quotes about kindness or dignity, or specific examples of privacy being respected. A Good rating indicates inspectors were satisfied that the caring standard was met, but the detail behind that judgement is not available in the text provided.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Staff warmth is the single biggest driver of family satisfaction in our review data, mentioned in 57.3% of positive reviews, and compassion and dignity together account for a further 55.2%. These are not abstract values; they show up in very small, observable moments. Does a staff member knock before entering a room? Do they use your mum's preferred name without being reminded? Do they crouch to her eye level rather than talking down? The inspection confirmed a Good rating in caring, but you will need to see these things for yourself on a visit because the published report offers no specific examples to draw on.","evidence_base":"The Good Practice evidence base highlights that non-verbal communication matters as much as verbal interaction for people with advanced dementia, and that staff who have genuinely learned about a resident's life history are more likely to provide person-led rather than task-led care.","watch_out":"When you visit, spend time in a communal area and watch how staff interact with residents who are not asking for anything. Are those interactions initiated by staff, or do staff only respond when called? That distinction separates attentive care from reactive care."}

  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The inspection rated this domain Good. The published report text does not include specific findings on the activities programme, one-to-one engagement, how the home responds to individual preferences, or end-of-life planning arrangements. For a 50-bed home with a dementia specialism, responsiveness to individual needs and meaningful daily engagement are particularly important areas to probe.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Resident happiness accounts for 27.1% of positive family reviews in our data, and activities engagement accounts for a further 21.4%. For people with dementia, the Good Practice evidence is clear that group activities alone are not sufficient; individual, tailored engagement, including everyday household tasks that connect to a person's former life, produces significantly better wellbeing outcomes than passive group sessions. The inspection confirmed a Good rating here, but without specific activity examples or resident feedback in the published text, you cannot assess the quality of daily life from the report alone. This is one of the most important things to explore on a visit.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett review found that Montessori-based and life-history approaches to activity, particularly those involving familiar domestic tasks, reduce distress and improve engagement in people with moderate to advanced dementia more reliably than scheduled group entertainment.","watch_out":"Ask to see the activities timetable for last week, not the planned template. Then ask specifically what happens for a resident who cannot join a group session: who provides one-to-one time, how often, and what form does it take?"}

  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Not yet rated

  {"found":"The inspection rated this domain Good. Mrs Claire Kingdon is named as the registered manager, and Mr Chris Ochoa is named as the nominated individual, indicating a defined leadership structure. The published report text does not contain specific findings on manager visibility, staff culture, governance processes, how concerns are handled, or whether staff feel able to speak up. The stability and tenure of the registered manager is not described in the available text.","quotes":[],"family_meaning":"Management leadership accounts for 23.4% of positive family reviews in our data, and communication with families accounts for a further 11.5%. The Good Practice evidence is clear that leadership stability is one of the strongest predictors of quality trajectory in a care home: a long-serving manager who knows staff and residents by name creates a very different culture from a recently appointed or frequently changing one. The inspection confirms a named manager is in post and the rating is Good, but you cannot tell from the published text how long Mrs Kingdon has been in the role or what the staff culture feels like day to day. Ask directly.","evidence_base":"The IFF Research and Leeds Beckett review found that homes where staff feel genuinely able to raise concerns without fear show better safety and care outcomes, and that this psychological safety is directly shaped by the visible behaviour of the registered manager.","watch_out":"Ask Mrs Kingdon directly: how long have you been registered manager here, and what is the current vacancy rate among permanent care staff? Also ask how families are notified when something significant happens to their parent, such as a fall, a hospital visit, or a change in condition, and what the expected response time is."}

  Verified by inspector

Source: CQC inspection report →

What the evidence base says

Against the DCC Good Practice in Dementia Care standards, this home’s evidence aligns most strongly on The home specialises in dementia care, mental health conditions, and supporting adults over 65. This focused approach means staff develop specific skills in areas like managing confusion, supporting emotional wellbeing, and adapting communication styles.. Gaps or open questions remain on For residents living with dementia, the care team provides consistent support through daily routines. Staff work to maintain each person's sense of identity and connection, understanding that patience and genuine engagement make all the difference. — areas worth probing directly during a visit.