St Elizabeth’s make “heartbreaking” decision to close adult care home
Charity / Thu 21st Jul 2022 at 04:49pm
A CARE home outside Harlow rated as “inadequate” by government inspectors, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has decided to close.
St Elizabeth’s Care Home with Nursing is in Much Hadham but has close links to Harlow.
They have a number of charity shops in the town and a number of residents are employed there.
With 86 residents, there may be quite a number of job losses. YH will attempt to ascertain how many.
CQC visited in November and published their highboy critical report on March 2nd (details of the report are attached below).
The following statement has been issued on their website:
In the last two years, St. Elizabeth’s Adult Care Home has faced two unprecedented challenges – the Covid-19 pandemic, and a chronic national shortage of trained staff.
The latter has placed our organisation under relentlessly increasing pressure and it has become only too clear that we can no longer guarantee the safety of our residents because we cannot recruit and retain sufficient numbers of trained staff.
The latter has placed our organisation under relentlessly increasing pressure and it has become only too clear that we can no longer guarantee the safety of our residents because we cannot recruit and retain sufficient numbers of trained staff.
We are working closely with family members, our commissioners and our regulators – the Care Quality Commission and Ofsted – to ensure a smooth, stress-free transfer to a new service for all of our residents.
It is heartbreaking to have to take this step, but any reduction in the quality of our care is simply not in keeping with our ethos, and is a long way from the type of service we have made our name in providing.
We will, however, continue to operate as a residential school and college, supporting children and young people with epilepsy and other complex conditions, where there is an increasing need for our specialist care.
Daniel Long
2022-07-21 18:55:46
This is really sad news. I have worked at St Elizabeth's for over 20 years and I have never experienced this situation. As much as most people are going to point the finger at the management, i put 98% of the blame on the out going prime minister Boris Johnson and the former health secretary Sajid Javid for bringing in a policy, making the covid vaccination compulsory to adult care workers and then changing their minds on the last minute which was then too late because most employees from the adult care home of St Elizabeth's centre had already left,Leaving the remaining staff to be run off their feet and doing their best to make sure the residents receive a good service, which was draining them. To me, all the care staff and education staff are super hero's for continuing to give the residents a good service throughout the pandemic and lockdown. All we ever heard about is the N,H,S staff doing well, which they do but so do the care staff and education staff at St Elizabeth's centre. My heart goes out to all the adult care home staff and the residents too. All the best for the future.
David Forman
2022-07-21 20:29:44
I'm sure the union Unison will help its members at St Elizabeth's. Sad to hear people are going to lose their jobs and that the patients moved from familiar surroundings.
Bob
2022-07-21 21:28:12
About time really. St Elizabeth treat their staff and residents extremely poorly. An accident waiting to happen.
Bob
2022-07-21 21:28:41
About time really. St Elizabeth treat their staff and residents extremely poorly. Very sad… An accident waiting to happen.
H.B
2022-07-21 23:05:13
Having worked at a few care home I can say the care the residents recieve at St Elizabeth's is outstanding. They are given so many opportunities that other care homes don't offer. I only see happy residents with staff that love them like their own. This is heartbreaking for the residents, staff and for the children who will now not be able to stay with us for thier adult lives.
Karen
2022-07-22 06:58:36
I agree with Daniel, the covid vaccine being made compulsory briefly for care staff was a bad move. Also, Maybe if the management treated staff properly it wouldn’t have come to this. There is a real them and us feel between management and staff, lots of in house bullying from seniors and home care managers. An awful place to work. Even so this is very sad news for the residents who know no other life.
Patrick
2022-07-22 07:37:43
Government investment and new management would be preferable. but I suppose the sale of the land will line a few pockets.. Trained care staff do not receive adequate pay and are rarely valued until its too late, not just at St. Elizabeth's.
Heather Stanton
2022-07-22 07:47:05
Just an idea, as this is such a drastic measure to the staffing problem perhaps an alternative drastic action could be considered: change the management and senior staff, plus, put on staff transport everyday. Yes it's additional cost but you would be able to open up to a wider group of people looking for an excellent place to work, plus get continuity of staff and hopefully stop the alleged 'them and us' management situation: there's no 'i' in team.
Stacy
2022-07-22 09:00:28
Heather there are 3 routes that run every day which cover Harlow, Bishop's Stortford and Hertford Ware, to bring staff in and that covers both the early and late shifts. Change the management and senior staff? But who would take up the post's? There are not enough staff on the ground. All avenues have been looked at and exhausted.
Ajith
2022-07-22 11:12:08
Yes exactly like someone said changing management and trying new and getting more fund from government may help . Most affected will be the residents because in St Elizabeth most residents are with epilepsy and learning disabilities not all and normal care home can accommodate them but in St Elizabeth all staffs are properly trained for that so and homes for epilepsy and learning disabilities are very rare in UK . When the parents take them back home even they can’t handle them take also can’t go for work leaving them alone in home and some residents not even have family to take them back residents upto age 75 or 85 is still in St Elizabeth Where they will go and also some people living here for last 55 years it will be a really heartbreaking for them. For all the 80 or 100 residents there it’s their home if the management says they are shutting it down it’s same as making 100s of people homeless . St Elizabeth is Historical I say it’s working more the 120 years it’s something UK people must u proud of and protect them . At this difficult time let’s do whatever we can to support Staffs and Residents Government must Try to do something quick even Before the existing and experienced staff move from here. Their is nothing the government can’t do, they can. Imagine how many million pounds they spent for buying arms and ammunition, 1 % of that money is enough to give home for 100 people with learning disabilities and job for more than 400 staffs
John
2022-07-22 11:30:53
Well said Daniel! Everything rings true! Lockdowns and government policies have done more harm than good! Plus billions of pounds squandered of our tax payers money on useless PPE.
Jacqueline Webster
2022-07-22 13:30:42
What is the local MP doing? There has been no comment from him. I would have expected him to take an interest in what will happen to the residents who will be sent elsewhere. These are people who deserve more from this world, when they have such challenges to try to overcome. The staff give their all to make the residents lives as pleasant as possible. How can it be fair that the residents are taken from those they know and trust? How would the government feel if it was their son, daughter, brother or sister? It is heartbreaking.
Barry
2022-07-22 19:43:50
In my experience of St Elizabeths’s ( 11years ) Over 50 years with a family member in care. The management / staff were wonderful. Overworked under paid yes but so caring. In Covid-19 they were exceptional. Quick off the mark getting PPE protecting staff & residents. Let’s not forget the amount of deaths in care homes. Before Covid/ brexit the CQC marked St Elizabeths’s as good. 2 years later inadequate. Staff have left for more pay easier jobs St Elizabeths’s is a charitable organisation It pays the going rate the care home down the road can put up it’s fees & wages. The last 2 years the management have tried everything. The government / CQC should have helped They are closing us down. To the staff thank you so much & good luck The residents There are not a 100 vacancies in epilepsy homes. Closure will cost the taxpayers more in the long term. Residents will end up from Cornwall to Wales. Unfortunately I know It’s heartbreaking.
Nicolette davis
2022-07-22 21:02:47
I have worked here for 4 years I am absolutely heart broken and worried for all the residents were will they end up and will they be Happy Upsetting time for them all.
Nicole
2022-07-23 17:31:45
This is devastating. I only joined this brilliant place in November last year. I have never before felt so supported and its like a second family. All the residents are loved and cared for. Encouraged to live the best life they can. We are absolutely heartbroken.
Paul
2022-07-24 14:04:17
It’s all a scam/farce id say , far more to this than meets the eye as some in the above posts have hinted at . The CQC report ( of which i have read in great detail ) firstly was a total shambolic way of helping the place shut for the benefit of other agendas (theres was stuff within the report about the residents not getting out and about - it was covid times 😆 - a loose tile and bulb that needed replacing , one or two members of staff that said the wrong thing….yes it needed a kick up the arse but to close ? 1 person refused to wear a face mask ….lost of silly stuff ). So whilst some points were valid in the report, there was nothing that could not of been put straight in a few days, aside from the staff crisis caused by enforcing the covid jab (which was then retracted ) and the red tape the uk wraps itself in order to staff the place from abroad, so maybe the management and the charity itself needs investigation or help to put things straight . There’s absolutely no reason to close , only other agendas/speculation that i’m sure we will see pan out in the next few years after its closure, its one of the reasons that i have learnt not to trust any charity whereby staff at the senior level are paid astronomical salary’s - these are early businesses with tax breaks - so like all businesses when they have had enough they can just sell it on or do whatever . St Es should be run by the state or returned to the nuns. In the mean time, from the perspective of squatters rights , these vulnerable people aren't going anywhere, unless St Es and those ‘movers and shakers’ make it even harder to provide care. But im sure there will be an enormous fight from here on in, as some parents particularly those who are elderly or have health issues, wont be able to take their children home, and for some residents who are not physically able and need round the clock care - moving them to all across the country and dumping them anywhere isn’t feasible. So id like to see the newspaper headlines when theres 80 plus residents being forcefully removed , many without a voice to protest . St Es is a special place run day to day by mostly amazing people, it just needs extra staff, a decent buildings manager to make sure things don't run into disrepair (because obviously whoever’s job that is dosnt value it currently ) and we need to protect jobs and the residents who will unlikely find the correct care out in the community or elsewhere due to care homes being flooded with a majority demensia situation.
Sandra
2022-07-24 20:19:16
It really is heartbreaking. I only started work there in June and have found it an amazing place to work with really dedicated staff. There’s a real sense of community there. Really feel for the residents whose futures are now so uncertain and also for the families who felt reassured their loved ones were well cared for and supported there… I’ve worked in places before that should definitely have closed but haven’t - it’s a very unfair and unjust system. St E’s just don’t “fit the model” and the residents are the ones who will suffer. It’s so very wrong that people with disabilities always land up bottom of the list, valued the least… When will things ever change?
Lola
2022-07-25 08:54:52
I worked there for nearly six years and it was such a relief when I eventually left. It slowly got worse and worse in regards to the management. Yes covid was a trying and difficult time but the home actually did really well. The management is quite frankly appalling. They were only interested in themselves and had no previous experience in managing a team. It was very much a case of who you know. The rise in wages were never going to work as the staff just felt undervalued and despondent most of the time.
Lola
2022-07-25 08:56:53
I worked there for nearly six years and it was such a relief when I eventually left. It slowly got worse and worse in regards to the management. Yes covid was a trying and difficult time but the home actually did really well. The senior managers are quite frankly appalling. They were only interested in themselves and had no previous experience in managing a team. It was very much a case of who you know. The rise in wages were never going to work as the staff just felt undervalued and despondent most of the time.
Stacy
2022-07-25 10:49:48
I have worked here for 4 yrs. I’m broken the residents are broken. We strive our hardest to give the residents the best life they can. Accommodating changes given to us in the blink of a eye by management. All for the benefit of the residents. And us staff love to do all we can for them. We are now looking at residents that have been here 50/60 yrs crying asking why do they have to leave. The government enforcing the covid jab on Care Homes and not NHS had a massive impact. Staff was unsure and they were very uncertain times. So many staff lost. And not replaced.we are now left with a CEO not wanting to talk to anyone..families in shock and not knowing where to turn, and we have only two phone numbers to give them. Again the elderly and disabled suffer. The residents are like a family on the bungalows and now they are having to be torn apart. The report highlights a lot and points out the bead but the deaths to covid here amongst the residents was low. That is down to us staff here and how we worked. It’s going to be a bleak day when the last adult leaves. Please bare in mind some of the staff travel miles to work here. They love the residents like family.
Theresa
2022-07-26 12:20:04
We need to do something to STOP St Elizabeth’s home from closing, our residents need a voice, they need all the support to help them enjoy the rest of their lives in the only place they know as their home. They should not be made to move away from the people they know, love and trust, it’s an absolute disgrace if this is allowed to happen, as if these poor people haven’t suffered enough with all of their health and disability problems. I have worked with them for fifteen years they are the most amazing people, they are so happy living with their friends and in the community of St Elizabeth’s and we love them like they are our own family. This is so morally wrong.
Vanessa
2022-07-26 18:46:31
Hi Theresa I was utterly shocked when I heard this news, I came to St Elizabeth's and worked alongside you on and off for just under 10 years on Respite, V House and as a float, I remember pre covid times though when everyone did everything we all did so much for the residents with day trips, holidays, I remember the place being like a family, yes the residents should not have to be forced to move and I'm sure it will prove difficult as many of them have complex medical histories too. I feel sad as I made some great memories there and made some great friends and lost some along the way (R.i.p). It is a farce reading through the CQC report I feel like the place has been penalised due to staffing, we had some great staff back then, most of us were insured drivers, were trained to give medication and that's the issue it should be criteria during the recruitment process for people to be able to drive in order for the residents to get out into the community and to be able to assist with medication.
Pearson Mhurudzekunze
2022-07-27 06:42:11
This is quite shocking and sad news indeed. Something should be done to stop this closure. Lets have human life at heart and probably engage the authorities.
Saul
2022-07-27 20:53:36
In the interest of the organisation going forward, I believe it would benefit the governors and trustees to perhaps question the competence of those in charge and at the top level of management. Yes, the sector is going through the worst crisis it has ever seen but organisations and those that run them need to hold some accountability.
Paula
2022-07-28 09:10:41
I have a family member living here; for over 40years. I came back off holiday yesterday to a letter stating the close. Four months!!! What planet are these people on? I believe they can not recruit staff while inadequate but please give this home some leeway. I feel the CQC report was over stringent? A cracked tile and light fitting. Did they never query if maintenance were allowed in the bungalows during covid because us relatives was not. The staff I spoke to when we could return and have visits in the pavilion have told me that the CEO AND SENIOR MANAGERS were working from home. The staff that worked there all through covid are the ones facing redundancies yet those that stayed away and protected themselves are keeping theirs ..oh that’s right they are own pushers they don’t care!! I’ve seen staff crying with this news my relative doesn’t understand why but I do worry what home will I find for her now. Her seizures are pretty bad so I need StE how can I find somewhere so similar?? And in 4 months. My heart breaks it really does And CEO Jill Rankin you should be ashamed of yourself. You scratched your way to the top and I’ve heard from other families they have waited a hour or more to see you and you do not turn up or acknowledge the meeting. I will be visiting my relative today. And I will wait to speak with the CEO. If she don’t speak with me I will wait outside her office in her car until I do. How can you make 80-100 people homeless in 4 months and not care. She needs to face her conviction and face us families. All Staff facing redundancy thank you for all your hard work and dedication. You truly are like a family. My heart is shattered for you all. WE NEED TO KEEP ST E OPEN. Ps funny how it’s taken down if their socials now about closing.
Lola
2022-07-28 14:15:23
Jill Rankin should never have been made CEO That was the beginning of the end. She should have the decency to speak to the staff, residents and family members. She wanted the kudos and high salary that came from the position but can’t cope now things have gone wrong.
Anon
2022-07-28 15:37:54
https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-st-elizabeth-centre-of-epilepsy-closure?redirect=false
Suzanne
2022-08-10 13:35:46
Please could someone say how this situation can be helped? Is there a petition organised? Any way members of the public can donate? I have just listened to St E’s being mentioned in a report on Radio 4, I’m sure listeners would be keen to help.
Nicky B
2022-10-13 16:32:32
A beautiful place, ruined by the 'new wave' of management. I worked there for 12 years & saw standards plummet in the care & individual needs of the residents. Strangely, as the conditions for residents nosedived, the wardrobes of the snooty management women prancing about in their high heels & wedges, turned into a fashion parade.
Rachel palmer
2022-10-23 05:01:37
Well do you know what if your closing the adult part of the school down then you might as well close the school and the college as well because the school isn’t the same with out the elderly people and that what we need the elderly people. I used to be a resident there I’ve recently departed though because there wasn’t any room for me in the home end but I do think of people like Victoria baker Phillip wren and people like that because it’s not nice to be told that you’re not allowed to live in your own home
EX st elizabeth staff member
2022-11-27 14:06:30
I'm a staff member that USED to work here i'm currently off with stress and for the past 3 to 4 weeks i've not ONE'S had a phone call to see if i'm okay!?!? The stress is down to the poor working conditions at this place! All bungalow staff have their own little friendship groups and us staff that are there just to work get pushed to the side and moved to different bungalows even tho there is OTHERS who can move! I'm leaving on the 30th and it's the best thing i've ever done! Jill & Jenny the owners of the centre have completely messed the whole moves for residents up! There are still residents there WITH NO HOMES and these people want them out by the 30th of this month!?!?! Shocking and a disgrace of a care home! I for one am HAPPY to leave this place! 8 years i worked here and NO THANKS for my service! Worse off all didn't even get my redundancy pay after 8 years! I put on my contract that i wanted to work with ADULTS not CHILDREN!!!
An ex employee
2023-01-13 14:02:00
Paul is correct, it is all a scam. I worked on the bungalows from when they were first opened (in fact I worked at St E's from 1989 - 2004). I remember when a wannabe named Rankin arrived at St E's and began to throw her weight around almost immediately, I thought trouble maybe brewing! Also things started to change e.g the St E's name from home to Centre, not popular with our older ladies. When outside sources (government departments) began to dictate and young things from uni came in bossing experienced staff things started to go rapidly downhill. The 'sisters' were running the place quite safely and we were the residents family. The reason I put my notice in and got out in 2004 was due to the unrest and the way management was heading. It was a decision I would rather not have made and I felt sad but reading about what is going on just breaks my heart especially for all the helpless residents and their families.
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