Care home closes after 'inadequate' rating

A spokesperson for Minster Grange Care Home confirmed the site closed on 12 January

A York care home has closed after the health regulator rated it inadequate.

Minster Grange Care Home was found to be understaffed and poorly led, with residents left "sitting in wheelchairs for long periods of time", according to inspectors.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) said the home's owners had applied to de-register the service, meaning no enforcement action will take place.

The home confirmed it closed on 12 January, but declined to comment on the CQC's findings.

In their report, inspectors said there were "not enough staff on the first day of our inspection to ensure people were always safeguarded from the risk of abuse".

A total of 40 residents were using the service at the time of the inspection at the end of last year.

The CQC said that there were not enough carers to "appropriately supervise people and to offer interaction, reassurance, and distraction if people became distressed."

'Significant shortfalls in leadership'

More staff were employed on the second day of the inspection in response to the feedback, the report said.

The regulator also found that "medicines were not always managed safely", residents' mealtime experience was "poor" and that staff spoke of a "poor culture" and "not being listened to" by management.

The report said there were "widespread and significant shortfalls in service leadership" at the home, which is run by the Maria Mallaband Care Group.

It did note, however, that most residents spoke favourably of the home and said they felt safe.

The report also said recruitment procedures were safe.

The home has been bought by the Schoen Care Clinic, which runs a neighbouring facility for people with eating disorders.

A spokesperson for the Maria Mallaband Care Group said: "All residents had vacated by 11:15 GMT on Wednesday 10 January.

"The deregistration takes effect from 12 January."