Amber Wood

Updated 12 January 2023

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 conducted by one inspector and an Expert by Experience. 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

Amber Wood 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. Amber Wood is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

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 professionals who work with the service. 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.

We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 8 people who used the service and 2 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We also spoke with 5 staff, the deputy manager, and the registered manager. We reviewed a range of records, these included 4 people’s care records, medicines administration records, as well as governance and quality assurance records. We also looked at 2 staff recruitment files.

Following the inspection, we spoke with 3 further staff members and a healthcare professional who had visited the home.

Updated 12 January 2023

About the service

Amber Wood is a residential care home providing personal care to up to 45 people. The service provides support to older people, some of whom have mental health needs or are living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 44 people using the service.

Amber Wood accommodates people across three separate households, each of which has separate adapted facilities. There are communal spaces within each household as well as meeting spaces between the households. People are able to move freely between the households if they wish.

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

Systems established to monitor people’s nutrition and weight were not always effective at identifying gaps in recordings. Other systems used for governance and oversight were effective and audits were conducted to ensure people received good quality care that met their needs.

People, relatives and staff spoke positively about the culture of the home and the registered manager. Staff received support from the management team and felt able to share feedback and ideas. The staff team worked in partnership with other agencies to ensure people’s health and care needs were met.

People felt safe living at Amber Wood. Staff had received training to identify concerns for people’s safety and any concerns were reported to the local safeguarding authority. Risks were assessed and managed and staff knew how to support people safely. There were enough staff to respond to people’s care and support needs. Staff had been safely recruited. People received their medicines as prescribed and systems used for the management of medicines were safe and effective. People were supported by staff who were following infection control guidance.

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 good (published 5 February 2020).

Why we inspected

We received concerns in relation to the management of medicines and poor care practices. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only.

We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. Please see the safe and well led sections of this full report.

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 remained good based on the findings of this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Amber Wood on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

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