Staff at a care home shut down on Friday have vented their shock and anger at the decision.
Some of the 37 staff at the Oxford Grange care home in Dewsbury spoke of their “disgust” at the closure.
Kirklees Council ordered the closure after “significant concerns” were raised following a routine inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The closure came as a shock to both staff and residents, many of whom left the home in tears due to the fact that it had received positive feedback after the previous inspection in 2014.
Yvonne Mason, the home’s cook and cleaner for eight years, said: “It has been a total shock to us all.
“We weren’t given reasons as to why they had raised concerns and haven’t had an opportunity to try put right their concerns.
“They just came in, then came back for a week-long inspection and then we were told we had to close last Friday.
“In that time £35,000 has been spent cleaning the home, buying new equipment and we have been forced to get in agency staff by the CQC. It’s left us with no time at all get everything put in place properly.
“If they had come back in two months and still found problems then fine but this is ridiculous.
“And it’s unbelievable because inspectors said everything was fine in 2014 and we’ve not done anything differently since then so don’t know what's happened.”
A team of seven inspectors raised “significant concerns” and enforcement action is being considered.
Maggie Walker, a carer, said: “We have not had any issues with care. The agency staff didn’t know the residents and I think we’ve been blamed for their faults.
“We are upset for the residents who we treat as if they were our parents.
“The decision to close meant that even a resident who was at the end of her life has had to be moved.
“I think we’ve been treated disgustingly. We blame the new regulations brought in by CQC which we think has led to similar unfair closures of other homes.”
The staff said that although their jobs were at risk none had yet been made redundant.
Carole Morris, a care team leader, added: “Residents’ families have been up in arms. If we hadn’t been giving them proper care they wouldn’t have been so angry.”
Yvonne is now behind a petition which she hopes to send to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.
“We want to find out why this decision has been made,” she said. “I’m collecting signatures from residents’ families and from the local community and we will be having a stand in Dewsbury Market to get more support.
“It’s not going to get our residents back but if we can stop it happening to other homes that’s something at least.”
