Amber House Residential Home

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

Caring – this means we looked for evidence that the provider involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

At our last assessment we rated this key question requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.
 

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The provider always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

We observed staff engaging warmly with residents, responding positively to conversations and showing genuine happiness in their interactions. One person said, “Staff are very good, very nice and good fun.” Another person told us, “Staff are always chatting with me.”

Staff demonstrated genuine care for people and consistently treated them with kindness and compassion. People told us they were supported in ways which upheld their privacy and dignity, and staff shared examples of how they ensured this was maintained in day‑to‑day practice.
 

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

As people’s care records were more detailed, and staff felt better supported and more confident in their roles, it was easier for them to understand each person’s uniqueness and provide care in line with their individual wishes and preferences. People had sexuality care plans in place which, although some elements required further strengthening, provided a good foundation for exploring and recording people’s needs, including those relating to protected characteristics. A staff member told us, “In the short term, I support people by meeting their daily needs, promoting comfort, choice, and meaningful activities. In the longer term, I support their goals and aspirations by encouraging independence, developing skills, and involving them in care planning.”
 

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

Staff demonstrated person‑centred care and supported people to remain as independent as possible. Staff showed they knew people’s needs well and used this understanding to ensure care was individualised and responsive. We observed staff empathising with people around specific health issues and offering appropriate alternatives, such as pain relief or different seating positions, to promote comfort and choice.

People were given control over where they spent their time and who they spent it with. They also had access to technology which supported them to maintain independence and make decisions about their daily lives.
 

The provider listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

Staff responded to people’s needs promptly and sensitively, and people told us they generally did not have to wait for support. One person explained on the rare occasions they did wait; it was because staff were assisting others who needed help at that moment, and they understood the reasons for this. Relatives also acknowledged there were times when staff could not respond immediately, but they did not feel this placed their family members at risk of harm or discomfort.

Some staff told us they occasionally felt pressured or rushed, reflecting the ongoing demands within the service. However, they remained committed to responding to people’s needs in the moment, and people and relatives consistently described staff as attentive, caring and responsive. Staff believed as the service continued to stabilise and grow, their capacity to respond even more effectively would continue to improve.
 

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff, and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Staff told us the support they were receiving had improved significantly. They felt they were now listened to as experts in their roles, and their knowledge was used to help shape people’s care and ensure support was as appropriate as possible. Staff also told us they had seen recognisable improvements across the service, which in turn made them feel more supported and enabled them to deliver a higher‑quality service.

The provider was considering reviewing staff strengths, skills, experience and interests, with a view to developing champion roles to lead specific areas of care. This approach would enable staff with expertise or passion to take ownership of key themes and act as a point of reference for others and to ensure learning was shared effectively across the whole staff team.