A Harrogate care home that closed after a highly critical report by government inspectors has indicated it plans to reopen after refurbishment.

Mary Fisher House, on Cold Bath Road, was rated inadequate and put into special measures in April by health and social care regulator the Care Quality Commission.

The CQC report, which followed an inspection in February, found evidence of rodent droppings in the kitchen, said some bedrooms smelled of urine, described medicines practices as unsafe and said there were insufficient staff to safely support people.

Residents were subsequently moved out of the four-storey home, which is run by private care provider Svivekcaregroup Care Group Limited.

The final residents left just over a week ago and the home closed.

But a statement by solicitors acting on behalf of Svivekcaregroup indicated the home, which caters for up to 24 residents, is likely to reopen.

The statement said the company was “naturally very disappointed with the CQC report”, adding:

“We have, however, used this as an opportunity to begin implementing a wide-ranging series of improvements and environmental upgrades at the home.

“Regrettably, the pace of the improvements was not as we had envisaged and we have therefore taken the difficult decision to close the home.

“This will enable a full refurbishment to take place and the new systems and processes in development to be completed.

“While we acknowledge and are sorry for the upset this will cause our residents and their families, we feel that this is the most responsible route to ensuring that we are able to deliver safe, good quality care in a welcoming and modern environment.”

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The Stray Ferret asked why the slow pace of the refurbishment had prompted the home’s closure and when it might reopen but we have not received a response.

After the home’s recent closure, Rachel Bowes, North Yorkshire County Council’s assistant director for care and support, said it had been “been working alongside NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group with the home’s owner to try to secure improvements”.

A CQC spokesperson, said it had “taken action to protect the safety and welfare of people living at the home” and its “legal processes do not allow us to go into further detail at this time”.

A council has denied claims its scheme to ensure high social care standards has been designed to “weed out” some care providers.

Hundreds of residential and home care providers and day services have been asked to reapply to be on North Yorkshire County Council’s approved care providers lists.

It is the first stage of a huge transformation of the social care market in North Yorkshire.

A meeting of the authority’s care scrutiny committee heard while some £160m of taxpayers’ money was spent annually buying social care services in the county, the current system allowed providers to set their own rates and give few details about their coverage.

Although many local authorities have been able to set rates for providing care as they dominate their area’s care market, about half of care services in North Yorkshire are paid for privately, so the county council has regularly been forced to watch some providers’ rates soar.

North Yorkshire County Council’s offices in Northallerton.

Councillors were told contracts with care providers would in future be based on a set of service specifications.

Jill Quinn, chief executive of Dementia Forward.

Committee member Jill Quinn, chief executive of Burton Leonard-based charity Dementia Forward, told the meeting completing the new process to be an approved provider was “onerous”.

She added the process appeared to aim to prevent certain providers from being placed on the lists.

She said:

“We understand why it needed revamping and the need for quality markers. Can we reassure people that are applying that it’s not meant to catch them out and that there will be sympathy and support, otherwise I feel we will lose some good people.

“I’m quite seasoned at this and I’m half-way through doing mine and it really is like quite a job.”

The meeting heard trying to maintain quality standards across 155 care home providers and 225 residential and nursing homes was a huge undertaking for the council.

Cllr Michael Harrison, who represents Killinghall, Hampsthwaite and Saltergate and is North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for adult services and public health, said the process aimed to identify providers who are able to give the level of service that both the 90,000 residents receiving care and the council could afford.

He said:

“We are wanting to make sure the residents who are receiving social care receive a quality that they and we are happy with. We are absolutely not wanting to weed any providers out. ”

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Cllr Harrison said setting clear standards for care was vital, adding the council had moved people out of a residential care home earlier this month after becoming concerned for their safety.

He said:

“That’s a last resort, but it’s also a good example that we’re not prepared just to take any service just because it’s available.

“It’s got to be a service that is safe and appropriate for the individuals receiving it, which include some of the most vulnerable people in society.”

Cllr Harrison (pictured above)  said the changes would ensure a transparent process for people to bid for contracts from the county council and confirm providers were getting the funding they need from the authority to be viable and sustainable, including paying their staff a decent wage.

He added:

“We need to make sure what we pay for the service is delivering what we need. Whilst we need to go through the process, we need to make sure that we don’t put providers off from coming on to our approved provider list because the process is too onerous.”

He said in response to the concerns, the council would offer support to any providers that found the process difficult.

Residents at a Harrogate care home where rodent droppings were found and rooms smelled of urine have been moved to other homes.

Mary Fisher House was rated inadequate and put into special measures in April by the Care Quality Commission, which regulates health and social care.

The CQC report in April, which was based on an inspection in February, found evidence of rodent droppings in the kitchen.

It said some bedrooms smelled of urine, described medicines practices as unsafe and said there were insufficient staff to safely support people.

The four-storey home on Cold Bath Road, which caters for up to 24 residents, relied heavily on agency staff who weren’t properly inducted, it added.

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Claire Harris-Winstanley, manager of the home on Cold Bath Road, confirmed it was closed when the Stray Ferret visited today. However, she said it was not clear yet whether the closure would be permanent and declined to comment further at this stage.

Rachel Bowes, North Yorkshire County Council’s assistant director for care and support, said in a statement today:

“We have taken swift action to find new accommodation for 12 residents of Mary Fisher House following a decision by the owner to close for refurbishment.

“This situation has arisen following a recent Care Quality Commission inspection of the home, which identified problems which needed attention.

“Since then we have been working alongside NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group with the home’s owner to try to secure improvements.”

“The owner has decided the best way forwards is to refurbish the premises and to do so without residents in place. As a consequence we are finding alternative accommodation for the 12 residents the county council has responsibility for.

“We understand the situation may be distressing for those involved and we are working diligently to ensure the process causes the minimum disruption to the residents involved. Our absolute priority is the welfare of those affected by this situation and we have been keeping residents, along with their relatives and representatives, fully informed of developments.”

Safety action

One woman, who had a relative at the £600-a-week home until recently, said she was given nine days to find alternative arrangements.

According to the CQC, the home is run by Svivekcaregroup Limited.

The Stray Ferret has tried to contact the provider but has yet to receive a response.

A CQC spokesperson, said:

 “The CQC carried out an inspection at Mary Fisher House in Harrogate in February 2022.

“As a result we have taken action to protect the safety and welfare of people living at the home.

“Our legal processes do not allow us to go into further detail at this time. All CQC’s action is open to appeal.”

A baby group is being held at a Knaresborough care home in a bid to build community links between generations and combat loneliness.

Tiny Tots and Tea Cups will see elderly residents at The Manor House encouraged to sing and play with babies and toddlers.

Activities co-ordinator Katie Pickering is organising the free event with her colleague Joanne Meredith.

She was inspired after talking to a friend who had a lockdown baby, and also witnessing the positive effect of taking her children to visit her grandparents.

She said:

“We have been looking to get more involved in the local community now covid restrictions are lifting.

“I had a friend who had a baby in lockdown, who said it was one of the loneliest experiences she’s had. So I thought it would be a good idea to run a parent and baby group here. People from all generations can suffer from loneliness.

“Children can sometimes connect to people on a level that adults can’t. I took my daughters to see my grandparents and my grandad later told me it had been such a boost for my grandmother.”

Harrogate law firm Hempsons has sponsored a play about the struggle to access care for elderly relatives.  

Hempsons specialises in the health, social care and charity sectors so the theme of the play Fighting for Life chimed with its work.

The play was performed last Thursday at Harrogate Neighbours, a not-for-profit care organisation for the elderly.  

The performance was followed by a Q&A session where audience members could ask questions relating to the themes discussed in the play.

Audience members at Harrogate Neighbours’ play.

Philippa Doyle, head of social care at Hempsons, said:  

“As leading health, social care and charity lawyers, we assist these sectors with the challenges they face and take pride in offering support via free advice lines and training.” 

The play, written by Brian Daniels, is currently touring the UK after premiering in 2018 at Hampstead Marie Curie hospice in London.  

Harrogate Neighbours’ care fest event in July will see local companies including Powell Eddison Solicitors, Avery Walters and Full Circle Funerals give advice and support for people going through bereavement.  

Harrogate garden centre launch new hydrangea at Chelsea Flower Show 

Harrogate Garden Centre has launched a new hydrangea plant at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.  

The signature Red Butterfly Hydrangea is an exclusive at the show, and will be available to buy in garden centres across the country later this year.  

The Red Butterfly Hydrangea launched by British Garden Centres

£10 from each plant sold at the show will be donated to the charity Greenfingers, which create gardens for children in hospices around the UK.  

Tom Cook, plant buyer at British Garden Centres, which owns Harrogate Garden Centre, at Bishop Monkton, said:

“When looking for the perfect plant to launch as the group’s signature at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, a red hydrangea was the only option. It links to the group’s symbolism for passion through the colour and name, which is the Red Butterfly.” 

First established in 1913, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show will be open until Saturday. 

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A couple from Harrogate celebrated 65 years of marriage with a dinner party in a Knaresborough care home.

Henry and Bella Walker, 92 and 86-years-old, reached their blue sapphire wedding anniversary last week and celebrated in style at Thistle Hill Care Centre in Knaresborough.

The pair first met in the dinner queue while working at the munitions factory at Thorp Arch, near Wetherby. Henry initially tapped Bella on the arm and said “I’m taking you out”.

Bella said even thought it was love at first sight, she said “no” until a friend persuaded her to give Henry a chance.

They were later married at the Knaresborough register office on May 18, 1957.

Henry and Bella enjoyed cake and cards and a little cava last week.

The Walkers were joined by family and friends, as well as staff from the home, for a dinner party with cava, sherry and of course cake.

The married couple share four children, six grandchildren and great grandchildren, and even great great grandchildren.

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General manager Mandy Scott said:

“We have had such a lovely day celebrating Henry and Bella’s anniversary. It’s so wonderful to see two people still very much in love after all these years and reaching a blue sapphire anniversary is just incredible.”

A Harrogate care home has been put in special measures after inspectors found rodent droppings in the kitchen and some medicine practices were found to be “unsafe”.

The Care Quality Commission inspected Mary Fisher House care home on Cold Bath Road in February.

In a report published yesterday, the care regulator rated the home as “inadequate” and placed it into special measures.

The inspection found that parts of the home, which provides personal and nursing care for up to 24 people, had “not been well maintained and were unsafe”.

Bedrooms “smelt strongly of urine” and there was evidence of rodent droppings in the kitchen.

On occasions, residents had either been given medication late or had not been given any.

It said:

“Medicines practices were unsafe.

“There were occasions whereby people who used the service had received their medicines late or had not been given them, as there were none left. Sufficient and timely actions were not taken to address this.

“A medicines policy was in place, but staff practice was not always in line with this. Staff who administered medicines had not always been trained.”

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Inspectors also found that staffing levels at the home were unsafe, with some reporting that there “wasn’t always enough staff to meet their needs in a timely manner”.

However, the report did find that staff were polite with people at the home and “worked hard to try and meet there needs”.

‘Fallen below standards’

In a statement, the home said it regretted that it had “fallen below the standards expected of us”.

The home, which is run by Svivekcaregroup Limited, said:

“Areas for improvement were identified in the recent inspection and we are committed to working closely with the CQC and North Yorkshire County Council to ensure changes are made quickly to redress this situation.”

Rachel Bowes, North Yorkshire’s assistant director of adult social care, said: 

“The CQC inspection identified some serious failings but we are confident management at Mary Fisher House want to take swift and meaningful action to improve the service they offer.

“We fully intend to support them in that and look forward to seeing progress. We were also pleased to see the CQC report highlighted the fact that staff at Mary Fisher House worked hard to meet the needs of people in their care and people were able to speak freely when the inspection took place.”

Plans to demolish a 20-bed care home on Claro Road in Harrogate and replace it with a new facility have been recommended for approval.

Disability Action Yorkshire has submitted the proposal, which would see a 34-bed facility built on its current site and on adjacent disused land.

The new home would be built in three three-storey blocks and would ease the shortage of accessible supported housing for local disabled people.

Senior Harrogate Borough Council officers have recommended that the scheme is approved at a planning committee meeting next week.

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The proposal consists of 24 one-bedroom and 12 two-bedroom flats.

Should it be approved, Disability Action Yorkshire plans to complete the scheme in partnership with Highstone Housing Association.

The council agreed to sell the adjacent land to the housing association for an undisclosed sum in November 2021.

It is hoped the project will be completed by the end of 2023.

Masterplan of the care home development on Claro Road as proposed by Disability Action Yorkshire.

Jackie Snape, chief executive at Disability Action Yorkshire, said previously:

“Our vision is to empower disabled people to live the lifestyle of their choosing, and independent living is at the heart of this.

“This is an incredibly exciting move for us, and something we have been planning for a number of years. Our partners, Highstone Housing Association, are experts in building supported housing.

“Whilst they will develop the site, it will be our staff supporting the residents, all of whom will have tailor-made care packages put in place before moving in.

“Our customers at 34 Claro Road have been fully consulted, and they looking forward to having their own front doors.”

Harrogate care home managers have warned the staffing crisis is only getting worse and that it will inevitably cause more bed blocking problems for the NHS.

Sue Cawthray, chief executive of Harrogate Neighbours, described the current situation as “dire” and said she has “never known it as bad as this”.

She said:

“The sector is desperately short of care staff.

“At Harrogate Neighbours we can’t increase our packages for home care and we are struggling to keep our care home above water, with staff having to work extra time to cover spare shifts.”

Susie Harrison, manager at Highgate Park care home and chair of Harrogate and District Registered Managers Network, also said the staff shortages were the “underlying cause” of delays in discharging hospital patients into care homes.

She said: 

“Care homes can’t take any more residents because they don’t have the staff and this means people end up stuck in hospital – that is the reality of the situation.”

Hospital can’t discharge patients

Harrogate District Hospital has confirmed it currently has around 40 patients who no longer require hospital care but can’t be discharged because they do not have a suitable location to continue their recovery.

This latest figure comes after the hospital recently warned it was “very full” and that this was having an impact on waiting times.

As well as the social care staffing shortages, Dr Matt Shepherd, deputy chief operating officer at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, said covid is also playing a “big part” in the bed blocking problems.

He said: 

“When care homes have had to close due to covid outbreaks, or the service they provide has been affected due to their staff being unable to work after catching the virus or having to self-isolate, we have been unable to discharge patients into their care.

“We know how being in a more familiar location can aid recovery and we are working closely with our partners in social care to ensure patients who no longer require hospital care are able to be discharged as soon as possible.”

There are currently around 1,000 vacant care jobs across North Yorkshire and a recruitment campaign has been launched by North Yorkshire County Council to try address the shortfall.

Make Care Matter campaign

Make Care Matter aims to change perceptions about working in the sector which has endured a major challenge to attract and retain staff long before the current crisis.

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Since the campaign launched in January, 268 job applications have been progressed, with 197 interviews resulting in 91 job placements.

Senior officials at the county council have said this shows some progress has been made, although they added it will take more than a recruitment campaign to solve the staffing problems.

Richard Webb, corporate director for health and adult services at the county council, said government promises to reform how social care is funded and how much staff are paid will be the key.

He said: 

“We have seen a step-change in the care market since summer 2021, with very tough competition in the labour market, which is having a significant impact on care providers being able to recruit.

“The county council and the NHS have put additional funding into the sector to help sustain services, manage covid-19 and, recently, to support the workforce, including a one-off pay bonus for 16,000 care workers.

“Whilst the council welcomes the government’s proposals for changing how much people pay for care, we also want to see national action to help stabilise care providers and to improve the pay and status of care workers.

“In the meantime, we work closely with our care providers and NHS colleagues to ensure that as many people can go home from hospital as soon as is safe and feasible to do so.”

A former care worker has been told to expect a jail sentence after he admitted sexually abusing a woman with a mental disorder at a care home in the Harrogate area.

Carl McQuilliam-Jenkins, 49, was charged with a string of sexual offences which occurred over a seven-month period.

He initially denied the allegations but pleaded guilty to three out of six charges of sexual activity with a mentally disordered woman by a care worker when he appeared at York Crown Court today (Wednesday, January 26). The offences occurred between July 2019 and January 2020.

Prosecutor Catherine Silverton said the Crown accepted his pleas on a “pragmatic basis” and would offer no evidence on the remaining allegations.

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Judge Simon Hickey adjourned sentence for probation reports but told McQuilliam-Jenkins that prison was inevitable, and the only consideration would be length of sentence.

He told the defendant:

“You pleaded guilty to three instances of serious sexual activity with someone with a mental-health disorder.

“You can have a (pre-sentence) report, but you must be under no illusions that the report goes to length of sentence only.” 

McQuilliam-Jenkins, of Howarth Terrace, Haswell, Durham, was granted bail until sentence on March 1.