Shock care home closure branded ‘disgusting’
A WORKERS union has slammed as “disgusting” the shock closure of a care home, which reportedly left 29 elderly residents just hours to find new accommodation.
The GMB said the closing of Warneford House, in Doncaster, had left vulnerable residents and care workers “stunned, heartbroken and angry”.
The union is now demanding a public inquiry into the sudden closure.
The shock decision reportedly gave some families just half an hour to arrange for their loved ones to go to new care homes. GMB organiser Rachel Dix said: “GMB is demanding a public inquiry into this scandalous situation.
“We knew Doncaster Council was asking for improvements but we were assured by the company, and staff were of the belief, that those improvements were well under way.
“To turf 29 people out of their homes and give 45 dedicated carers the sack with no notice is nothing short of disgusting. GMB is now seeking support from the local MP and councillors to get answers for all those impacted by these actions.”
The facility is owned by private company UK Medi-Care Associates Ltd.
The home’s second-in-command maintains it could have stayed open. Operations manager Toni Nightingale told the Daily Express things could have been handled very differently.
She said: “On the day of the closure the council representatives asked me if I could ensure the safety of the residents. I told them I thought I could – I’m a qualified manager and I have worked in care homes for 18 years.”
Karen Johnson, Doncaster Council’s assistant director of adult social care and safeguarding, said: “We simply could not leave the residents in this home overnight. It was not safe and they were seriously at risk.
“We agreed that residents were not in a safe place so we arranged for them to find homes that would care for them. No one was thrown into the street.”