Wellington care home owner told they had week to close - minutes after buying the business
The owner of a previously dilapidated care home has spoke of how his celebrations were cut short when he purchased the business to be told less than half an hour later he had a week to close.
Steve Singh was in the middle of celebrating taking over The Priory Nursing Home in Wellington with his management team at 4pm on October 20, 2018.
Less than 20 minutes later an official Care Quality Commission (CQC) report sent to his phone told him the home was putting residents in danger and was being forced to close.
"That was it. That was our day one," said Mr Singh, managing director.
Previously 'well hidden' problems with care plans and 'behind the scenes' issues meant the home was put under a resident admission embargo, with it already operating 30 per cent below capacity.
But since then, following more than a year of 13-hour days, seven days a week, the home has gone from inadequate in every area, to requiring improvement, to good - with every room filled as of January this year.
Mr Singh said once the complications had been unearthed, he realised he 'wouldn't have even put his dog there'.
"At the time we bought it, the home had a CQC rating of good. Eighteen minutes after purchase completion a report came online as totally inadequate in every area," he said.
"We had one week to close down. It was a massive shock to us.
"The CQC had given the previous owners 28 days notice but this was ignored and we didn't have that information passed onto us.
"We were frantically calling the CQC to see if it was correct, and it was."
Despite routine checks and viewings prior to purchase, the real problems were not made apparent.
Mr Singh said: "We knew the home was in a state and we had earmarked some money to renovate it following viewings, but we didn't know just how bad it was with things like care plans. It was very well hidden.
"I wouldn't have even put my dog there. The early days were very unsettling, full of sleepless nights and not having the confidence."
But the home has now been completely refurbished with state-of-the-art care equipment, 50-inch TVs, increased staffing and a team that caters to individual resident needs.
"Luckily at the time we bought the home my management team had two ladies previously from the CQC and the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) who understood the concerns that had been raised," added Mr Singh.
"We had a large-scale investigation with the local authority and we gave them confidence in us. We worked to weekly updates to the authority and the CQC.
"Now we're full and we've got a lovely settled team who all work hard and efficiently.
"It's an accolade to the staff and team here. It physically couldn't have been done without a real team effort from the 70 people involved along with the support of the local authority and wider community for believing we can improve.
"We're now looking at our focus with the local authority and the NHS and seeing where they're facing pressures.
"Yes we're a private entity, but we're all here for a common cause and we will continue to improve and deliver the best possible service."
