AN Ilminster Care Home has received a positive rating after a new report was published by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Hazelwell Lodge, located at 67 Station Road, Ilminster, Somerset, is a care home providing support for up to 50 elderly people.
The home has received an overall 'good' rating from the CQC.
The home specialises in the care of people living with dementia, with 48 people living in the home when the Care Quality Commission visited in March and April 2025.
The Care Quality Commission report said this inspection was a “responsive assessment prompted in part by a notification of an incident following which a person using the service sustained a serious injury".
However, the incident is subject to further investigation, and so this assessment did not examine the circumstances of the incident.
The Care Quality report also said: “However, the information shared with CQC about the incident indicated potential concerns about the management of risk. This assessment, therefore, included examining risk management.”
Despite this, the assessment found that “people were well cared for and protected from abuse and neglect.”
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It said: “Staff had a good understanding of safeguarding and how to raise any concerns they may have. Risks were identified and were generally well managed.
“Some risk assessments would benefit from more detail to guide staff.”
During the inspection, there were also checks carried out to make sure the environment remained safe.
A maintenance team was onsite to carry out checks and repairs, and “some minor areas of concern” were found, which were discussed and addressed during the assessment.
A number of audits were also carried out, and surveys were used to gain feedback from people, relatives and staff.
The report said: “There was a cohesive, effective and confident management team who ran the service. There were quality assurance systems in place.
“Managers had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively. They did so with integrity and honesty. The management team had considered the diversity of needs in their staff team."
The report said staff had mixed views about culture in the team.
It said: “Some staff spoken with were very happy with the culture, describing it as ‘honest and open.’ Other staff did not always feel they were treated equitably. Some staff did not always feel able to speak up about this, or if they did, they did not feel their voices were always heard.
“All staff told us this issue did not affect the quality of care provided to people. We could not find any adverse impact on people’s care.”
The report also details that people and their relatives were “overwhelmingly positive” about the quality of care provided.
The report said: “They told us they received high-quality care from kind and patient staff who treated them as individuals.
“There were many positive comments about the care provided and the home more generally.
“People and their relatives knew staff and leaders well. People described how staff treated them with kindness, sensitivity and compassion. Staff made sure any care was provided sensitively, preserving people’s privacy and dignity.”
A spokesperson for Hazelwell Lodge said: "We are delighted that the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has once again rated Hazelwell Lodge as 'Good' in its latest inspection, published in November 2025.
"This outcome reflects the dedication and compassion of our entire team, who work tirelessly to ensure every resident receives personalised, dignified and high-quality care. Our focus on supporting people living with dementia in a warm, family-style environment continues to be at the heart of everything we do.
"Inspectors noted that residents are well cared for, staff are skilled and kind, and the home offers a safe and comfortable environment. We are especially proud that the report highlighted positive relationships between staff and residents, and that people feel respected, valued and supported to make their own choices.
"We also recognise the feedback about strengthening communication and consistency across the team. We welcome this constructive input and have already introduced additional team meetings, leadership coaching, and new training modules to further enhance our culture of openness and continuous improvement.
"We’re incredibly proud of everyone at Hazelwell Lodge – our residents, their families, and our caring team. Together, we will continue to build on this success, and we remain committed to continuous improvement and providing outstanding dementia care at the heart of our Ilminster community."
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