Yorkshire Nursing Home Under Investigation

A NURSING home owner is co-operating with police and council officials over an investigation into his business which has seen all 34 residents moved out.

The authorities stepped in after a resident from the Highfields nursing home in Woodsetts Road, North Anston, South Yorkshire, was taken to hospital, where medics raised concerns.

As a result, Rotherham Council and South Yorkshire Police both began investigations and all the residents were rehoused.

A spokeswoman at the home said the owner was co-operating fully with the investigation but could not speak about the situation while the inquiry was ongoing.

Police have also confirmed they are “looking at all aspects of the management of the home including potential neglect and financial aspects.”

Coun Darren Hughes, who represents the North Anston area on Rotherham Council, said he would be questioning social services today (mon) about how the situation had developed.

He said: “I have already sent an email to the director of social services and I will be asking more questions.”

He has already had confirmation from Social Services that they didn’t inspect the home, he said.

The decision to move out all the residents was “unprecedented” said Mr Hughes and was possible partly because the council had many spaces available at the nearby Parkstone home, which is scheduled for closure.

He said the home had recently been inspected by the Commission for Social Care Inspection, an independent watchdog, which had given it a positive ‘three star’ rating.

The home was originally owned by Rotherham Council but was sold because the authority regarded the building as uneconomic to keep and changed hands again around a year ago, said Mr Hughes.

The spokeswoman at Highfields added: “We are working towards the residents moving back in and the issues raised are being addressed. We are here, and working on those issues.”

The home has space for up to 43 residents and charges up to £580 a week for those who live there. It is registered to take patients with dementia as well as those needing general old age care.

Details of the investigation have not been made public, but Mr Hughes said he understood the inquires were into both the welfare of residents and the quality of care they received and also the condition of the building.

“If it was just down to staffing, they would not have moved everyone out, but it only recently got a three star inspection. How could it get that, but now be in such a state that everyone has been moved out?” he said.

Rotherham Council could not be contacted for comment.