Health bosses 'dissatisfied' before Scarborough home closure

Ms Johnson said the situation had been "terrible" for both staff and residents at the home

Health bosses were "dissatisfied" with the quality of care being provided at a home in the weeks before its owner decided to close.

North Yorkshire County Council said concerns emerged in May as part of daily checks of its homes introduced in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The owner, Avon Care Ltd, decided to close on 18 June.

Relatives of the 15 residents at Grosvenor Hall in Scarborough said they were given a week's notice.

The home, which declined to comment, had been rated as requiring improvement by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) at its most recent inspection in October, which highlighted concerns over leadership and safety but noted improvements.

'Staff were heartbroken'

Alison Johnson's 74-year-old mother Freda Gray, who has dementia, had moved into Grosvenor Hall at the end of 2019.

Her daughter said she had no concerns over the care her mother was receiving prior to the closure, which she was told about a week beforehand.

"He [the owner] basically said the care and wellbeing of residents were his main priority and he couldn't guarantee that he could give that care and support without a management structure in place," she said.

The council's social services department found alternative placements for all 15 residents within days, but Ms Johnson said it was an awful situation for the very vulnerable residents, most of whom have some form of dementia.

"The staff were frantic [they] were heartbroken and obviously the residents pick up on that."

It is not known if Grosvenor House's decision to close at short notice was due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic

Richard Webb, North Yorkshire County Council's director for health and adult services, said it had increased visits to homes to ensure the wellbeing of residents and to manage any Covid-19 cases.

"In the case of Grosvenor Hall, we became aware of problems and, also, evidence of an outbreak of Covid-19."

He said they followed up with the home and raised concerns about the care provided.

"We worked intensively to make sure residents were safe and well - we remained dissatisfied with the quality of care being provided and the provider took the decision to close," he said.

Mr Webb said the council would continue to work with the CQC to "ensure that poor providers have nowhere to hide."

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