Ambleside
- Care home
- 18 beds
- No nursing
- Dementia care
- Registered since 2010
- Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, South West
Requires improvement
Rated on
Rating from the Care Quality Commission.
At a glance
8 ratings
First rated Good in 2015, most recently Requires improvement in May 2026.
5 months
since the latest rating was published.
25 of 184
rated care homes in Gloucestershire are rated Requires improvement, like this one.
Ambleside: inspection record
Rated Requires improvement in May 2026.
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | ||||||||||||
| Safe | ||||||||||||
| Effective | ||||||||||||
| Caring | ||||||||||||
| Responsive | ||||||||||||
| Well-led |
Ratings published by the Care Quality Commission.
Compare nearby
Nearest rated Good or Outstanding: Beechcroft - Cheltenham (Good, 0.4 miles away) and Dalkeith (Good, 0.4 miles away).
Nearest care homes:
- G Beechcroft - Cheltenham Good, 0.4 miles away
- G Dalkeith Good, 0.4 miles away
- G The Granleys Good, 0.4 miles away
- G The Knole Good, 0.4 miles away
- RI Queensbridge House Requires improvement, 0.4 miles away
What inspectors found
From the Care Quality Commission's assessment published 20 May 2026 (assessment visit 30 January 2026). Quoted under the Open Government Licence.
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.
- Safe No rating
- Responsive Good
- Well-led No rating
Read the rest of CQC's summary
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
No rating
Safe – this means we looked for evidence that people were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. At our last assessment we rated this key question inadequate. At this assessment the rating has changed to requires improvement.
This meant some aspects of the service were not always safe and there was limited assurance about safety. There was an increased risk that people could be harmed.
The provider was previously in breach of the regulation in relation to safe care and treatment. Improvements were found at this assessment and the provider was no longer in breach of this regulation.
-
Responsive
Good
Responsive – this means we looked for evidence that the provider met people’s needs.
At our last assessment we rated this key question requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to good.
This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.
The provider was previously in breach of the legal regulation in relation to person centred care. Improvements were found at this assessment and the provider was no longer in breach of this regulation.
-
Well-led
No rating
Well-led – this means we looked for evidence that service leadership, management and governance assured high-quality, person centred care; supported learning and innovation; and promoted an open, fair culture.
At our last assessment we rated this key question requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has remained requires improvement.
This meant the management and leadership was inconsistent. Leaders and the culture they created did not always support the delivery of high-quality, person centred care.
The provider was previously in breach of the legal regulation in relation to good governance. Improvements were found at this assessment and the provider was no longer in breach of this regulation.
Questions to ask when you visit
- Safe was rated Requires improvement on 20 May 2026. Ask how medicines are managed, how staffing levels are decided and how incidents are reviewed.
- Well-led was rated Requires improvement on 20 May 2026. Ask about changes in management and what has changed since the report.
- Ask to see the most recent Care Quality Commission (CQC) report and what the home did about any points in it.
Registration details
- Registered manager
- Lovorka Barac Vucetic
- Registered with the CQC since
- What it provides
- Care home service without nursing
- Who it supports
- Dementia, Older People, Younger Adults
Inspection report
Read the full inspection report (opens the Care Quality Commission website)15 inspection reports, latest 30 September 2023. Latest assessment published 20 May 2026; the Care Quality Commission's newer assessments are published on its website rather than as reports.
The rating is the Care Quality Commission's. We show it as published and do not change it.
Who runs it
- Provider
- Mr and Mrs J C Walsh
- Ownership type
- Partnership
Getting help from Gloucestershire County Council
The council can assess what care someone needs and tell them what help with the cost they may get.
- Adult social care at Gloucestershire County Council
- Ask for a care needs assessment
- Phone: 01452 426 868, Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm
- Contact adult social care online
- Support for carers
- Paying for care: Gloucestershire County Council
Checked on the council's website, November 2026.
Common questions
- Does Ambleside provide nursing care?
- No. The Care Quality Commission lists Ambleside as a care home without nursing.
- How many beds does Ambleside have?
- The Care Quality Commission's register lists 18 beds at Ambleside.
- When was Ambleside last inspected?
- The Care Quality Commission's latest rating for Ambleside was published on 20 May 2026.
- Who runs Ambleside?
- Ambleside is run by Mr and Mrs J C Walsh.
- What is Ambleside's CQC rating?
- Its overall rating from the Care Quality Commission is Requires improvement, published on 20 May 2026.
Contact
- Phone
- 01242 522937
- Address
- 69 Hatherley Road, Cheltenham, GL51 6EG Map (opens Google Maps)
Compare nearby
Nearest rated Good or Outstanding: Beechcroft - Cheltenham (Good, 0.4 miles away) and Dalkeith (Good, 0.4 miles away).
Nearest care homes:
- G Beechcroft - Cheltenham Good, 0.4 miles away
- G Dalkeith Good, 0.4 miles away
- G The Granleys Good, 0.4 miles away
- G The Knole Good, 0.4 miles away
- RI Queensbridge House Requires improvement, 0.4 miles away