Youths break into Bishop's Castle care home

Fears have been raised for the safety of young people who have been getting into the empty Grange Care Home at night, which currently has building work being carried out.

The lease has been taken on by Kenneth Andal who runs two other care homes in the area, and he hopes to reopen the troubled home on Kerry Lane in the summer.

But after a break-in, it was discovered young people had been getting in. They have now been identified and their parents told.

The Grange closed at short notice before Christmas after being rated inadequate for the second time in six months. Mr Andal said it had had received the lowest possible rating from health watchdog the Care Quality Commission in part due to poor maintenance of the building, so an overhaul was necessary.

But, he said: “Recently there has been some breaking and entering of the premises.

“It’s just children looking for adventure. I’m not angry about it but I am worried – it’s dangerous for them and I’m concerned if they might cause a fire, especially as there were cigarettes found on the floor inside.

“But since it happened we have had a meeting with their parents, who were very apologetic.

“It was was reported to police and I have delegated someone to go and meet with the police and request more surveillance for the area so its safer for the whole community.”

Mr Andal, who runs Kevindale Care Home in Broome, near Aston-on-Clun and Caradoc House in Little Stretton, said he had submitted plans to the CQC for a re-inspection in the next two months, after which it would re-open.

“It had a bad reputation in the past and we would like to change it and let people know that I am taking it over,” he said.

Both of Mr Andal’s homes are rated as ‘Good’ with the CQC.

Before its closure, CQC inspectors visited the The Grange in October and said the home was found to be “not clean”, staff not adequately trained, confidential care records left lying around and residents’ dignity and privacy not always respected. In one case a resident who had suffered a serious injury was not moved or given pain relief for 18 hours.

The report, published on December 20, also said that then-bosses at the care home “had not maintained the building safely to protect people from avoidable harm”.

The home officially closed the day after the report was published – though it had already been put on the market the day before.