Care home that was on the brink gets new lease of life

Ted Peskett, local democracy reporter

A Welsh care home which was 48 hours from closure before being saved is celebrating a transformation project which has taken nearly a decade.

Ely Court Care Home was on the brink of being ordered to close down due to fears over the safety of its 32 residents under the old regime in 2017 when Caron Group stepped in to take it over.

Eight years on from what was described by Care Forum Wales as a potentially “devastating outcome”, the home has undergone a £7m transformation.

Cognitive decline

Recalling the days before she took on the management role at Ely Court Care Home, now re-branded The Court Care Home, Becci Roberts said: “We know that when people move, that often triggers a decline in their health, particularly if they have a cognitive decline.

“Some of the residents were the most vulnerable nursing residents. Some were very frail and causing us a lot of concern.”

Caron Group chair Sanji Joshi, added: “This home was literally 48 hours away from being shut down because of quality issues. It was literally at the cliff edge of closure.”

Sanji explained how an order from the magistrates court to close the care home down was imminent in 2017.

The takeover was confirmed on the weekend before residents were expected to be moved out.

“Social services were already talking to the families and would be turning up and moving all the residents out because the home was considered so unsafe,” said Sanji.

“There had been lots of incidents over many years and it had culminated in a decision by the authorities that it was too dangerous for the residents.

“We stepped in on that Monday and we saved the lives of some of the residents because residents when they are moved, whatever the condition they are in, don’t travel well.

“We took over the home several months later but we actually put management in even before we took the home over to guide the existing staff so we didn’t have any high-risk incidents.

“There had been a very high-risk incident, somebody nearly died, the week before we stepped in the home.”

Care Inspectorate Wales

Sanji added the care group was supported by Care Inspectorate Wales, Cardiff Council and Cardiff and Vale University Health Board during the takeover.

As a result of The Court Care Home’s transformation, Caron Group said 40 existing jobs have been saved and 35 new roles have been created.

A further 25 staff will be taken on when the recently modernised rooms are opened.

The building itself has a long history which goes back to 1907. It was purchased by Sir David Llewellyn of Aberdare and his wife, Madge Llewellyn, in 1922.

Inspiration has been taken from the building’s history and original plans as part of the refurbishment, which includes a newly landscaped garden.

Sanji said: “It took us a year-and-a-half to get the garden built. The garden is the centrepiece, but we have done some incredible stuff within the home because it is an old building.

“It has been a complete transformation; we literally went back to the walls.

“Every room is now en-suite with a walk-in shower. And I don’t think there is another home in Wales which has air conditioning in bedrooms.

“We are still doing more work. We are now restoring the original lounges on the ground floor and we are opening another three bedrooms but the rest of the home is all done.

“It has been a labour of love, it has taken us eight years and it has been an incredible journey.”