It was closed for being unsafe
A care home which closed after being branded ‘unsafe’ is to be turned into a hotel.
Grafton House Residential Home on Ashby Road was deemed inadequate by the Care Quality Commission in May.
The Scunthorpe care centre was placed in special measures. However, provider Braemar Care Centre decided to close it voluntarily shortly after.
It was placed up for auction in August with a guide price of £385,000.
Plans have now been submitted to North Lincolnshire Council by the Normanby Hotel to turn the facility into a hotel or guest-house.
The former care home had accommodation for up to 24 people.
Grafton House was graded ‘inadequate’ in three out of five categories the CQC looks at – safeness, effectiveness, and leadership – and ‘requires improvement’ in two more.
In its report, the CQC warned that residents “were not protected from abuse”.
Its findings said: “The care centre was not safe, the service was not effective, the service was not always caring, the service was not always responsive, and the service was not well-led.”
Braemar Care Centre blamed the findings on short-staffing due to the Covid pandemic.
”We took the decision to voluntarily close Grafton house,” a spokesperson said.
“After the Covid outbreak we could not sustain staffing levels as it left the service so short-staffed.
“The greatest impact was Covid-19 as it meant we had little to no staff who could work.
“After the outbreak, we simply could not recover. Like many other homes, this led to the closure of the service.
“However this is not unusual and I am sure many services faced similar challenges during the pandemic.”
A spokesperson for the CQC said when it issued its report: “We are aware that the provider gave notice to the local authority who were responsible for moving existing residents to alternative accommodation in May.
“The service is now closed and we are aware that the premises is currently on the market.”
Whatsapp
