CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Amherst Court
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People were protected from harm, and individual risks were assessed and reviewed. Inspectors found safe staffing, recruitment, medicines management, infection control and accident monitoring.
- Effective?
- Good
- The home assessed people's needs before they moved in and provided staff training and supervision. People's nutrition, hydration, healthcare appointments and freedom to make choices were supported.
- Caring?
- Good
- People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect. Staff supported people's independence and respected their privacy, beliefs, lifestyles and daily choices.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans were personalised and updated with people's current needs and wishes. People were supported with communication, activities, relationships, complaints and end of life planning.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The registered manager was visible and approachable, and people, relatives and staff spoke positively about the management team. Audits, feedback systems and action plans were used to oversee and improve the service.
What inspectors found, July 2023
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care with strong management and no reported breaches.
The inspection was unannounced and took place on 08 June 2023. One inspector looked around the home, spoke with seven people and seven staff, and later contacted four relatives and four professionals. They also checked care plans, medicines, recruitment records, safety systems and audits.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found that people were protected from harm, received their medicines safely, and were supported by staff who knew their needs.
People were treated with kindness and respect. Care plans focused on what each person could do independently, while staff provided support with health appointments, food and drink, communication, activities and personal choices.
This was the same overall rating as the previous inspection, published on 24 April 2018. CQC will continue to monitor information about the home and decide when to inspect again.
Safe medicines
Medicines were stored, given and recorded safely by trained staff. Staff received regular checks of their competence.
“Medicines were stored, administered and recorded correctly by trained staff who received regular competency checks.” from the report
Personalised care
Care plans started with what people could do for themselves and then described the support they needed.
“Care plans were centred around people, highlighting what was achievable independently before going on to describe support needs.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
Inspectors saw staff spending time with people, using preferred names and showing interest in their lives.
“People were treated with kindness by a staffing team that knew them well.” from the report
Activities and independence
People could choose how to spend their time, with staff offering one-to-one and small-group activities and support to go out.
“During the inspection we saw staff engaging people in small group activities, 1 to 1 activities and just sitting and having conversations with people.” from the report
Strong oversight
The registered manager used regular audits, care plan reviews and feedback to identify and act on issues.
“Most audits were carried out monthly and an 'audit action plan' was drawn up, summarising all of the action points from the audits.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How will you meet my relative's particular mental health, dementia, Parkinson's disease or diabetes needs?
- 02How often will my relative's care plans and risk assessments be reviewed, and how will changes be shared with staff?
- 03What activities, one-to-one support and community trips would be available for my relative?
- 04How do you check that staff remain competent to administer medicines safely?
- 05How can relatives give feedback or raise a complaint, and how will we be told what action was taken?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five CQC key questions, including infection prevention and control measures. This explanation was written from the published report of 6 July 2023 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.
What inspectors found, February 2022
Amherst Court: targeted inspection found good infection-control practice, but the service was not rated.
This was an unannounced, targeted inspection on 10 February 2022. Inspectors looked at infection prevention and control, visiting arrangements, and whether COVID-19 staffing pressures affected the service.
Inspectors were assured that visitors were protected from infection, PPE and testing were used safely, admissions were managed safely, and the infection-control policy was up to date. They also found that the home was meeting the COVID-19 vaccination requirement in force at the time.
The home had made improvements identified through infection-control audits, including refurbishing the kitchen and converting a bathroom into a wet room. Staff also followed a daily cleaning schedule.
The service was inspected but not rated. This was not a full inspection of all five areas of care.
Daily cleaning
Staff followed a daily cleaning schedule covering the whole home.
“Staff were involved daily in a robust cleaning schedule of the entire home.” from the report
Infection-control improvements
Audits identified improvements that were then completed, including kitchen refurbishment and converting a bathroom into a wet room.
“Both of these improvements had been made.” from the report
Support for new residents
New residents received extra one-to-one support during their initial isolation period.
“New people living at the home were provided additional one to one support to help them through the initial isolation period.” from the report
Support when leaving the home
Staff supported people who felt anxious about going out after restrictions were lifted.
“People who felt anxious about leaving the home when restrictions were lifted, were supported by staff accompanying them on their first trips out.” from the report
COVID-19 controls
Inspectors were assured that the home used PPE and testing safely and managed visiting, admissions and infection outbreaks.
“We were assured that the provider was using PPE effectively and safely.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are you currently managing staffing pressures linked to COVID-19, and what effect do they have on support for residents?
- 02How often do you review your infection prevention and control policy and cleaning arrangements?
- 03How do you currently manage visits, testing, PPE and admissions when there is an infection risk?
- 04What support is available for a new resident during any isolation period?
- 05How do you support residents who feel anxious about leaving the home?
This was an unannounced targeted inspection of infection prevention and control, visiting arrangements and COVID-19-related staffing pressures; it did not rate the other four questions or give an overall rating. This explanation was written from the published report of 24 February 2022 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.
Every inspection of Amherst Court
4 rated inspections over 8 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- July 2023Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2022Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- April 2018Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- December 2016Requires improvementstayed Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- October 2015Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- January 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- November 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 3 February 2011.
Ratings and report dates from the Care Quality Commission, Open Government Licence v3.0. A home can also be visited without a new rating being published, so the timeline shows published inspections.
Weigh the report against the rest
Fees, photos and reviews from families
How to read CQC ratings and reports
What to check when you visit
19 live-in carers within about an hour of East Sussex
These are self-employed carers on PrimeCarers, the introductory agency that runs this directory. Each has a profile with their own rates and reviews from families, and you choose who to talk to.
Most charge £1,000 to £1,400 a week. 13 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
“When he point blank refused to go into hospital for a life saving blood transfusion she talked him through the situation and agreed to go in the ambulance with him and stayed until he was settled.”
“Una felt safe, secure and loved in her time with Debbie which is a gift that I am eternally grateful for.”
Every carer has had an enhanced DBS check in the last 18 months, ID and right-to-work checks and an online interview. Their skills and training are for you to check with them. Carers set their own rates, and who is free changes week to week.