Hayes Court

The following is CQC's published account of its assessment, published 22 May 2026. References to “we” mean CQC. It describes findings at that time.

Date of assessment: 6 and 7 May 2026.

Hayes Court is a care home with nursing registered for up to 55 people, predominantly supporting older people, including people living with dementia. At the time of the assessment 49 people were living at the service.

We undertook this comprehensive assessment, looking at all the quality statements under the five key questions, due to the time passed since our last assessment.

People and relatives consistently told us they were happy with the care provided and felt safe. They described staff as kind and caring, and we observed positive interactions where people were treated with dignity and respect. Staff were attentive to people’s needs, supported access to healthcare professionals and ensured people’s nutritional needs were met, with positive feedback about the quality and choice of food.

However, we identified concerns in relation to safety and governance. Medicines management was not always safe, particularly the handling, storage and recording of controlled drugs, and there were no protocols for medicines given ‘as required’. Environmental risks were not consistently managed, including unsecured windows, unalarmed fire exits and equipment not always used appropriately, which increased the risk of harm. Risk management systems did not reliably identify or address these issues prior to the inspection. Leaders took some immediate action during the inspection to reduce risks once concerns were highlighted.

Governance arrangements were not sufficiently robust. Audits and oversight processes did not effectively identify shortfalls in medicines management, care records or health and safety. There was a reliance on mixed paper and electronic records, which meant information about people’s care was not always clear. Some policies were outdated and statutory notifications to CQC had not always been submitted. Although leaders were approachable and staff felt supported, greater oversight was needed to ensure the service consistently met legal requirements. Theproviderwas in breach of the legal regulations relating to safe care and treatment and good governance.