Nursing home ordered to shut last year set to reopen under new owners

A '˜dirty' nursing home shut by inspectors is set to reopen under new owners.
Pilling Nursing Homen is set to reopen under new management who have refurbished the building.  L-R are Eric Charlesworth, Victoria Surtees, Phil Bradshaw, Abbey Mealor, Jenny Whiteside, Donna Smith and Kirsty MillerPilling Nursing Homen is set to reopen under new management who have refurbished the building.  L-R are Eric Charlesworth, Victoria Surtees, Phil Bradshaw, Abbey Mealor, Jenny Whiteside, Donna Smith and Kirsty Miller
Pilling Nursing Homen is set to reopen under new management who have refurbished the building. L-R are Eric Charlesworth, Victoria Surtees, Phil Bradshaw, Abbey Mealor, Jenny Whiteside, Donna Smith and Kirsty Miller

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) forced Pilling Care Home to close its doors after a catalogue of failings were uncovered last year.

The watchdog acted after inspectors found residents were not being cared for properly, with the home not having enough skilled, qualified and experienced members of staff.

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Medicine management was poor, and there had been little effort to improve following previous poor reports, the CQC said.

Now Zion Care, which runs the Conifers in Hambleton, St Albans in Knott End, and Nightingales in Cleveleys, has stepped in to take over the building, in Smallwood Hey Road.

Over the last six months, workers Eric Charlesworth and Sean Moody have gutted the building and given it a complete renovation – with visitors being welcomed for an open afternoon from 1-4pm next Friday.

Manager Kirsty Miller, 24, of Knott End, said: “All our sister homes are rated ‘good’ with the CQC and we expect no less from Pilling Nursing Home. It has been ripped out, there’s not a bit that has not been touched.

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“Everybody knows the home and we thought that, because Zion is quite a well known company within nursing homes, we would instead of changing the name, we would try and get that good reputation back.”

Kirsty said inspectors have been in to assess the new premises, which will offer nursing and dementia care for up to 30 people.

“We are still waiting to hear back but we are hoping it will be in the next week,” she said.

The home will initially be staffed by around 15 workers, some transferred from elsewhere in the group and some fresh faces, she added, with another 15 set to be brought in as the home gets busier.