A care home reopened this week under new management after it was previously placed in special measures for being “unsafe and inadequate” in every aspect.

Formerly known as Fairhaven Care Home, the newly renamed Amberside Care Home, in Park Avenue, now has new ownership and a fresh team of care staff in place for elderly people in Watford.

Inspectors at the Care Quality Commission (CQC) discovered in April last year that there was no registered manager in post and not enough staff to look after the 16 people living at Fairhaven at the time.

However, Dr. Anjum Hussain of 3A Care, the home’s new owner, explained that Amberside will now be more “relaxing, positive and interesting” for residents.

He said: “We’re really excited about opening the doors at Amberside as a lot of careful thought has gone into the home’s renovation.

“Most new homes are much larger facilities with 60 or 70 plus beds, where it is more difficult to develop individual relationships with residents and respond to each of their preferences.

“Here at Amberside, we will have a smaller group of residents, with a tight-knit staff team, creating a caring and responsive environment.”

The home’s new manager Maggie Veeren added the 19 new rooms are all en-suite and there is also a garden for residents to relax in.

She said: “The home looks and feels fantastic and we can’t wait to move our first residents in.

“The design of the home will help residents to remain independent for as long as possible, but we’ve carefully selected our new team to ensure the level of care is second-to-none.

“We will have our own activities coordinator to help residents really enjoy life with us – with regular outside trips.”