Billingham care home shuts after serious concerns found

Ashwood Lodge Care Home in Billingham is now closed

A care home has closed after an inspection found damaged fire doors, management issues and poor infection control.

Ashwood Lodge Care Home in Billingham was banned from taking new residents after a string of "serious concerns".

The final resident was moved out of the home, which cared for those over 65 and people with dementia, last week.

Stockton Borough Council said it had been "trying to support some of the staff" who worked there.

The council took action after an assessment, held last year, which found the failings.

New admissions had already been stopped following a previous poor assessment.

A "responding to and addressing serious concerns" meeting was held on 11 January, reports the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

However, five days after the meeting, the care home provider notified the council of its intention to close the home.

This week, councillors and council staff heard what had led to the closure and how all 18 residents had since been relocated.

'Best thing'

Darren Boyd, the council's quality assurance and compliance manager, said there were "issues with environmental health, food storage, food preparation" and "some issues with fire safety" had been found.

"Fire doors had been damaged that weren't fire secure anymore, so we had an inspection by the fire brigade.

"They went through a full inspection and had an action plan that had to be put in place by a certain period.

"Then the manager had left her post, which was pre-planned. She left and the deputy was on long-term sick and there was no sign of that deputy coming back."

Four staff members have since moved into other jobs, while one volunteer is working in the home to archive care records, said the LDRS.

Councillor Evaline Cunningham, chair of the committee, added that the closure "sounded as though it's the best thing for the people there".