Devastated residents 'in tears’ as Blackpool care home shuts down with just three days notice - leaving more than 20 carers jobless

Staff and service users at the Chaseley Care Home on Blackpool Promenade were informed by owners at CCH Blackpool Ltd that the home was to permanently close at the end of the week on Tuesday, sending family members spiralling into a state of panic as they struggled to arrange new accommodation for their elderly relatives.

Jean Lancaster, whose 97-year-old mother Joan Briggs has lived at Chaseley Care Home for two and a half years, said: “It has been extremely upsetting. There have been lots of tears shed. I’m just so upset on behalf of the residents and the staff, because they have been brilliant here. They do not deserve this.

"I feel like I’m losing part of the family. My mum has been allocated a place at a new home, as have all the residents, but it’s really a case of you go where you’re put. She has been really settled here. It’s heartbreaking.”

The care home had been operating without the necessary public and employers liability insurance in place. A Blackpool Council spokesman said the owners had been ordered to acquire the insurance to meet the basic legal requirements as a care provider, but this was not done, and so the home was ordered to close.

It is also alleged that the care home had not been registered by the CQC since 2021, when its previous company was liquidated and re-established as CCH Blackpool. The last time the home was inspected was in November 2020, when it was given a ‘requires improvement’ rating.

Chaseley Care Home staff said they had no idea that the home was operating illegally.

READ: The 12 Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde care homes deemed to be 'requiring improvement' or 'inadequate' by the Care Quality Commission in 2021

One member of staff said: “On Tuesday afternoon, the owners came down and said ‘we’re shutting up’. He said we had gone bankrupt. But we then found out through Blackpool Council that they hadn’t had public liability insurance for the past year, and we’re not even registered with the CQC.

"We feel emotional, angry, confused. We don’t know if we’re going to get redundancy pay. We don’t know what’s going on. It has been dropped on us; everyone’s in the same boat. People have got mortgages to pay, rent to pay. The council have been brilliant in relocating our service users, but the owners have been no help.

"It has been extremely stressful for the residents. Some of them have been here 15, 20 years. This is their home and all of a sudden, within a couple of days, they’re getting kicked out. A woman today had to be carried out on a stretcher because she’s bedbound. It was so traumatic for her.

"We have staff here who have been working here for 30 plus years. We have not been shown any respect or consideration at all. We’ll be paid until next Friday, and that’s it.

"We have no insurance, so we shouldn’t even be working today. If I was to fall and injure myself, I wouldn’t be compensated. But someone’s got to make sure the residents are leaving safely.”

Jean said: “Everybody is having to move out. Some have already gone. It has been a huge strain on all of us. It has been absolutely awful. I’ve been in tears, but that isn’t going to change anything.

"There are people who have been working here for years who are now without jobs. When people hear about care homes closing, people automatically think the care home must be bad, but it’s the complete opposite. The care here is amazing. The people who work here are wonderful and they don’t deserve what has happened at all.”

Mark Rooker, of CCH Blackpool, said: “Unfortunately at this moment in time, I am unable to comment on the current situation whilst we review the full details. Chaseley Care has always been committed to maintaining the high standards of care and support our residents deserve.”

Blackpool Council had ‘no choice’ but to shut down illegal care home after bosses failed to get insurance

Karen Smith, Blackpool Council director of adult services, said: “Once this matter came to light we worked closely with partners, Lancashire County Council, the homes regulator the Care Quality Commission and our NHS Partners to address matters of concern relating to this home not having had both public and employers liability insurance in place.

“Commissioning arrangements were immediately suspended with the provider while further checks were being undertaken. We explored the best way of trying to support the provider meet their basic legal requirement as a care provider, business, and employer to have insurance in place and to support them to become compliant with regulatory expectations.

“It is deeply regrettable but the provider has simply been unable to secure the required insurance and as a result we have had no choice but to issue a notice of termination on their residential care contract with the local authority.

“We are in contact with residents, families or their representatives to respond to any concerns regarding their loved ones and we are assisting all in finding suitable alternative care provision at what is clearly a very difficult time for all concerned. This is a priority for us all.”

A CQC spokesman said: “We are aware that Blackpool Council have terminated the contract for Chaseley Care Home in Blackpool, due the provider not having employers and public liability insurance. We are liaising with the provider and council to ensure that all residents are moved to suitable alternative care that meets their needs.

“CQC’s priority, at all times, is the health and wellbeing of people living at the home to ensure they are receiving safe care.”

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