- Care home
Amber House Residential Home
Assessment report published 4 February 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Amber House residential home provides personal care to older adults, some of whom may be living with dementia.
The inspection took place on 15 and 17 December 2025 and was undertaken to provide the service with its first rating under the new provider and to review concerns about the quality and safety of the service.
There were limited assurances about people’s safety because key systems and processes designed to support safe care were not fully embedded or detailed enough. The recent transition from paper to electronic care planning had resulted in important information not being transferred across, leaving some care plans incomplete. This meant risks were not always clearly identified or managed, including instances where people were not consistently supported with the correct moving and handling equipment. However, most people told us they felt safe and did not express concerns about the safety of their care.
Staffing levels did not always adequately meet people’s needs, and staff reported feeling rushed, which affected their ability to consistently deliver high‑quality, person‑centred care. However, staff were kind, compassionate, and committed, and continued to support people as best they could in challenging circumstances.
Staff received training, but there was no effective system to monitor training compliance, meaning the provider could not be assured that all staff were up to date with essential training. In addition, not all people had mental capacity assessments in place, and some required Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) authorisations which had not been applied for. The provider responded positively to our findings and began taking action to address these shortfalls.
People had limited access to meaningful activities, reducing opportunities for engagement and stimulation. Environmental safety checks were not carried out regularly or contained insufficient detail, although the provider had started work to improve this area.
Governance arrangements required improvement, as recent changes and disruption within the management team meant new managers were in post without the full training or support needed. This affected oversight and the provider’s ability to ensure the service was consistently well‑led. Despite these challenges, people appeared content, and staff continued to demonstrate kindness, compassion, and a genuine commitment to those they supported.
The provider was in breach of the legal regulation relating to safe care and treatment, staffing, consent to care, person-centred care and governance at the service. In instances where CQC has begun a process of regulatory action, we may publish this information on our website after any representations and/or appeals have been concluded, if the action has been taken forward. We have also asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this assessment.
People's experience of this service
During the on-site inspection, we spoke with 3 people who were able to speak with us and 1 relative.
Where people could not speak with us, we used The Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.
Overall, people told us they were generally happy with the care they received. However, some people raised specific issues about aspects of their support, and these reflected our findings that care was not always consistently person‑centred.
People and their relatives spoke positively about staff and recognised they worked hard and did their best. Many felt that if more staff were available, they would be able to receive more tailored and individualised care that better met their needs.
Some comments from people and a relative included, “It is a nice place to live, however there is so much noise around and I find it difficult to understand what’s going on. Its rather noisy”, “I feel there is enough staff most of the time, but there are times when it’s hard for the staff to cope. Sometimes it can be chaotic, but the staff also support me as well. They have always treated me nicely. They always bring me a cup of tea when I arrive” and “If I ask for something they [staff] do their best to provide it.”
Feedback from people and relatives was consistent with our inspection findings, acknowledging both the positive aspects of care and the areas requiring further improvement.