Ambleside Nursing Home

Updated 26 October 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

The inspection was carried out by two inspectors with an Expert by Experience telephoning relatives. 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

Ambleside Nursing Home 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. Ambleside Nursing Home is a care home with nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

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 that 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 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. We sought feedback from the local authority and healthcare professionals who work with the service. We reviewed CQC notifications. Notifications describe events that happen in the service that the provider is legally required to tell us about. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection

We spoke with the registered manager, five staff and five people on the day of inspection. The expert by experience spoke to two people and three relatives on the phone. We observed staff practices and how they interacted with people. We reviewed a range of records relating to the management of the home. This included people’s care records, training records, staff recruitment records, health and safety audits and infection prevention and control records. We received feedback from two professionals. We considered all this information to help us to make a judgement about the home.

Updated 26 October 2022

About the service

Ambleside Nursing Home is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to up to 20 people. At the time of our inspection there were 17 people using the service. The home has four floors with a communal area and a dining room. People also have access to a garden area.

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

We were assured by the home’s infection and control policies and procedures. However, we did observe a staff member not wearing their mask appropriately on more than one occasion. At the time of our visit one person’s care plan was not available but was shared with us before the end of the inspection process. Care plans contained information about people’s assessed needs and how staff could meet them. Risk assessments were in place for identified risks and guidance included for staff on how to mitigate those risks.

We have made a recommendation regarding the availability of people’s care records.

Systems were in place to protect people from the risk of abuse. Some steps had been taken to help ensure the physical environment was safe. There were enough staff working at the home to meet people's needs. The provider had robust staff recruitment practices in place. Medicines were managed safely. Accidents and incidents were reviewed to see if any lessons could be learnt from them.

Staff had received training to meet the needs of people using the service. They had also received regular supervision and an appraisal of their work performance. The registered manager and staff demonstrated a clear understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.

People were supported by staff who knew them well. People's dignity and privacy was respected, and staff understood the importance of maintaining people's independence. People, their relatives and staff told us the home was managed well. Staff enjoyed working at the home. The home worked in partnership with other organisations to provide safe, effective and consistent care.

We have made a recommendation regarding the provision of activities at the home. We have also made a recommendation regarding gathering feedback from people who use the service.

The management promoted a positive staff environment that was open and transparent. The registered manager demonstrated good visible leadership and understood their responsibilities. Staff were motivated and reflected pride in their work. They talked about people in a way which demonstrated they wanted to support them as much as possible and provide the best standards of care.

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

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 18 October 2019).

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 regulation.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection to check whether the provider was meeting legal requirements and

regulations, and to provide a rating for the service as directed by the Care Act 2014.

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.

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 improvements to good based on the findings of this inspection.

Follow up

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