Ambleside

69 Hatherley Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL51 6EG

01242522937

Care Type

Residential Care

Assessment date

30 January 2026

Provider

Mr and Mrs J C Walsh

Beds

18 beds

About Ambleside

Ambleside is a residential care home in Gloucestershire, providing accommodation and personal care, including support for some people living with dementia. Further details on the CQC's most recent findings are set out below.

Ambleside is a care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 18 people, including some living with dementia. At the time of the assessment 12 people were living there. The CQC found that previous breaches around safe care, person-centred care and governance had been addressed, with better risk management, medicines processes and record-keeping in place.

However, inspectors found some medicines recording errors, an inaccessible garden needing maintenance, and outdated registration paperwork. Staff interactions and activities were positive, and care plans were respectful and personalised. The CQC concluded further time was needed to embed these improvements, and the home remains rated Requires Improvement overall.

Source: CQC assessment, 20 May 2026

Specialist Care

Older peopleYounger adults

Facilities & Amenities

HairdresserActivities ProgrammeDining Room

Fees and availability

We have not verified a current weekly fee for this home. Ask for a written quote based on the room and care needed, including any extra charges.

Check current vacancies, the admission assessment and visiting arrangements directly with the home.

Care and inspection details

Checked against the CQC register on 20 September 2026. This is a check of published information, not a visit to the home.

Registered service: Care home service without nursing
Registered capacity: 18 places — this is not a vacancy count
Registration checked: Registered · GL51 6EG

Registered care categories

Caring for adults over 65 yrs; Caring for adults under 65 yrs; Dementia.

These describe the registration. The home must assess whether it can meet the individual person's needs and whether a place is available.

CQC ratings in more detail

Overall rating shown by CQC: Requires Improvement.

Assessment published 20 May 2026. Assessment date recorded: 30 January 2026.

Read CQC's assessment overview

The following is CQC's published account of its assessment, published 20 May 2026. References to “we” mean CQC. It describes findings at that time.

Date of Assessment: 15 April 2026 to 23 April 2026. We visited the service on 15 April 2026. Ambleside is a care home and can accommodate up to 18 people. Some people may live with a type of dementia. At the time of the assessment 12 people were living at the service. There was a registered manager in post.
The provider was previously in breach of the legal regulations in relation to safe care and treatment, person centred care and good governance. Improvements were found at this assessment and the provider was no longer in breach of these legal regulations.
The provider had made improvements to their processes for risk management, safe environments, infection prevention and control and medicines administration.
Records and charts had been reviewed, updated and checked regularly. The service improvement plan had completed actions, with an audit schedule in place. The kitchen was clean, food was stored correctly and safely. However, the garden was not accessible and required maintenance. Medicines management and documentation had improved, however, we found some recording errors.
The provider had made improvements in relation to person centred care. Care plans were written using dignified, respectful and person centred language. Daily notes included person centred information about the person’s well being and individual daily experience. A new approach to assess staffing requirements based on each persons assessed needs was in place. We observed improved interactions between staff and people.
The provider had made improvements in relation to good governance, management and sustainability. These included oversight, monitoring and management of service systems and processes; identifying and mitigating risk; improved accuracy and consistency of records; auditing checks to identify where improvements were required and a dynamic service improvement plan. However, we found the provider’s Statement of Purpose and registration details required updating.
Further time was required to ensure improved practices were embedded and formed an on-going part of the providers overall processes.

Safe: Requires Improvement
Effective: Good
Caring: Requires Improvement
Responsive: Good
Well-led: Requires Improvement

Questions prompted by these ratings

Safe: What changes have been made to medicines, staffing and safeguarding since this rating?
Caring: How do staff protect privacy, dignity and each person’s choices?
Well-led: What has changed in management, checks and oversight since this rating?

These are questions for your visit, not a claim about conditions today.

Read Ambleside's CQC record and reports.

Contains Care Quality Commission information under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Ratings and registration details can change after the date checked.

5 Questions to Ask on Your Visit

When visiting Ambleside, consider asking...

1.What happens if my relative's care needs increase significantly -- will they have to move?
2.How do you handle concerns or complaints from families?
3.What does the monthly fee cover and what will cost extra?
4.How do you keep families informed about their relative's day-to-day wellbeing?
5.What happens if my relative is unhappy here?

5 Things to Look For on Your Visit

When you visit Ambleside, look out for...

1.Do staff greet residents by name and stop to chat?
2.Are residents dressed, up and occupied, or sitting alone in front of a TV?
3.Does the home smell fresh and feel clean without being clinical?
4.Do residents look comfortable and at ease, or anxious and withdrawn?
5.Does the manager answer your questions openly or deflect?

Could the NHS fund Ambleside's fees?

The average nursing home costs £1,535 per week. That's £79,820 a year. NHS Continuing Healthcare could cover all of it. No means test, no contribution from you.

Find out if the NHS could fund these fees