Elderly residents forced to relocate from ‘inadequate’ Sheffield care home days before Christmas

Dalewood View in Woodseats – branded ‘inadequate’ by Government inspectors twice in one year – is being stripped of its nursing registration.

Sheffield Council has taken the decision to relocate 31 elderly residents to other homes and say they are confident the move can be done by tomorrow, Christmas Eve.

Angela Mills, aged 50, of Lowedges Crescent, Lowedges, whose 77-year-old mother Dorothy is a resident, today said the news was ‘heartbreaking’.

Bosses at Roseberry Care Centres, which runs the home, criticised the council decision, claiming it ‘wasn’t necessary’ to move residents out. They said the poor reports were due to a ‘nursing problem’ and the residential care was not at fault.

Government regulators ruled there was not a sufficient improvement in standards of care for nursing residents at the home following a previous inspection earlier this year.

The move just days before Christmas has come as a huge shock to residents and their families.

Angela said: “I got a call from the council saying that the home was shutting down. I couldn’t believe it so near Christmas.

“It’s awful, absolutely heartbreaking. The people who live there are confused as to what’s going on, the changes will affect them.

“It’s a massive shame but I can’t disagree really. Safety is paramount for me and it makes me wonder what on earth has been going on.”

Great grandmother Dorothy is set to be moved to a care home in Hackenthorpe.

Angela said: “It’s heartbreaking to hear, she doesn’t know what’s really going on. She’s been crying and doesn’t want to move. She’s lived on Woodseats Road for over 60 years.

“The staff I’ve come across are really nice but they obviously have too much to do.”

Roseberry Care Centres blamed a ‘national shortage’ of qualified nurses and an over reliance on agency staff for affecting their ‘consistency of care’.

A spokesman said: “As a result of the latest inspection, the regulators have decided to restrict our registration status thereby allowing us to look after people needing residential care only.

“The enforcement action taken by the CQC related only to the nursing part of the registration status.

“Sheffield City Council however decided unilaterally to move all residential residents that they fund, from the home.

“This action was taken without discussion and we were informed by e-mail that they would be moving the residents by Christmas Eve.

“We do not believe that it was necessary to move the residential residents from their home, given that the enforcement notice related to the nursing service only.”

He added: “We are genuinely saddened that despite our commitment to improving nursing care standards at the home, frail and vulnerable people and their families were put in a position where they had to find new homes so close to Christmas.

A council spokesman said: “A decision was reached to take urgent steps to move residents from the home into alternative placements.

“Furthermore, the CQC is taking action to remove the home’s nursing registration. This means that everyone living in the nursing section would need to be moved to a new home in any event.

“Sadly, despite substantial intervention by health and social care professionals, the home has been unable to reassure us that it is able to improve the level of care to residents and maintain their safety and wellbeing.

“This decision was taken very reluctantly but it was determined that the risks involved in moving people to other homes now outweigh the risk of allowing them to remain in the care environment at Dalewood View.”