New buyers have been found for three north-east care homes saving 165 jobs.
It comes after Aboyne-headquartered owners Craigard Care was placed into administration due to “very high operating and agency costs leading to unsustainable cash flow problems”.
Administrators, FRP Advisory, have now agreed to sell Weston View Care Home in Keith and Wakefield House Care Home in Cullen to to Parklands Care, which operates a further 10 care homes across Moray and the Highlands.
Riverside House in Aberdeen will be sold to Renaissance Care Limited, which operates a further four care homes across the city.
All 165 members of staff are also expected to transfer to new owners.
In the interim, the proposed purchasers will manage the care homes on behalf of the administrators.
FRP Advisory director and joint administrator Graham Smith said: “The planned sale of the three homes is excellent news for residents, staff, suppliers and the local communities that depend on these important facilities.
“We are also delighted that 165 jobs are set to continue when the proposed deals complete and wish Parklands Care and Renaissance Care every success with their plans.”
Inspectors discovered a mattress wet with urine and leadership was described as “weak”.
‘Ongoing challenges facing the care sector’
Speaking about the takeover Parklands Care Homes managing director Ron Taylor said: “We understand that this will be a worrying time for residents, their relatives and staff.
“Working with the administrator, our focus is on ensuring that residents in both homes receive high quality care and that staff are supported through this challenging period.
“The administration of Craigard Care Limited will come as a shock to many in the community and highlights the ongoing challenges facing the care sector.
“However, given our experience as a care provider in the north-east over 30 years, and the fact that all of our Moray homes have a five star rating, we believe we are well placed to ensure that these homes can deliver the highest standards of care.”
Seamless transition for all involved
Renaissance Care executive chairman and founder Robert Kilgour said: “Upkeeping the high standard of care and ensuring stability in the day-to-day routines for residents at Riverside Care Home is our key priority as we endeavour to create a seamless transition for all involved.
“We know this may be a worrying time for staff, residents and relatives of Riverside care home, however, it is our commitment, as a people-centred organisation, to ensure we offer the support and stability for all our people to ensure the ongoing and continued care of all residents.”
Three staff at Craigard Care headquarters, which was founded in 1996, will be retained to assist the joint administrators in the short-term. Then, however, all four head office staff will ultimately be made redundant.