Staff worked hard to help improve Melton care home’s CQC rating

The Amwell, a £6million luxury facility on Asfordby Road, was opened to great fanfare in March 2017 by health and fitness guru Rosemary Conley.

But a team from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) identified several issues with the home when they inspected it in February last year.

They found staff training was inadequate, that care plans for residents were limited and not reflective of their needs and that three incidents of suspected abuse were not properly reported.

Those failings have all now been put right, however, according to the latest CQC report in which inspectors concluded that The Amwell was ‘good’ for providing a service that was safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led – the five areas it grades all care homes on.

Reacting to the new report, the home’s manager, Tracy Heyes, said: “After the CQC visit we put together an action plan covering all the areas that CQC had put in their report.

“We worked through these one at a time until we had improved in the relevant areas.

“We also make sure that all staff complete all training before starting work at the home now.

“When we received the previous rating, we were obviously disappointed, and whilst we were aware that there were some areas that needed attention, to get ‘requires improvement’ in all areas was not at all what we wanted.

“The team at The Amwell have all worked hard to make these improvements which the new rating reflects.”

Facilities at The Amwell, which is described as a residential, nursing, dementia and respite care home, include a private wooded area overlooking the River Eye, a riverside bistro, cinema room, beauty spa, specialised gym, landscaped courtyard gardens, private dining area, computer suite facilities and guests can enjoy a fresh fine dining experience prepared daily by on-site chefs. There are currently 53 residents living in en suite bedrooms.

During the latest CQC inspection, residents told officers that they were ‘happy living at The Amwell’, ‘felt safe and secure’ and ‘liked the staff who look after them’.

The premises was found to be clean and fresh and it was observed that staff knew each resident well.

Employees had followed risk assessments to ensure that residents received safe care and officers were happy with staff numbers at The Amwell and the training they had received.

Staff were seen to give residents their prescribed medicines safely and followed good practice guidelines to help prevent the spread of infection.

Residents had a variety of meals, according to the report, including those with special dietary requirements and access to health services.

Staff were also seen to respect residents’ privacy and dignity and their views were listened to and acted upon.

And the CQC team observed that The Amwell was increasingly becoming a part of the Melton Mowbray community, with local groups hiring out the gym, people in the borough visiting to take part in activities such as knitting and gardening and a spring fair being held there.

Mrs Heyes added: “We’re delighted to have received this rating from the Care Quality Commission as it’s recognition for all the hard work everyone associated with the home has carried out since the last inspection.

“We have created a safe and happy home for residents to live in and a lovely place for staff to work.”