Longhurst Group takes ‘difficult decision’ to find new owner for care home

Due to funding pressures and increased competition, we have taken the difficult decision to find a new owner for our only older persons’ residential care home, Cranwell Court in Grimsby.

We have begun the process of looking for a like-minded organisation to purchase and take over the running of Cranwell Court, retaining an external agency, Healthcare Property Consultants Limited (HPC), as advisers to approach quality providers and assess potential interest.

A care home registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), Cranwell Court provides individualised, customer-led care for older vulnerable adults, including those living with dementia. It employs 100 staff and includes a specialised 17-bed enhanced dementia care unit that provides comfort and care for those with higher needs.

Although Longhurst Group has accepted that we cannot succeed in the highly competitive residential care home market, we remain committed to delivering high-quality care and support to older people, either providing this service to people in their own home or through sheltered housing, extra care housing or retirement living.

Cranwell Court plays an active role in the local community and we want to ensure that it will remain that way for years to come. We are committed to finding an organisation that shares our values and our vision for its future.

Longhurst Group’s Executive Director of Care and Business Partnerships, Louise Platt, described the decision as ‘extremely difficult’ and emphasised the importance of finding the right buyer for the care home.

“We are enormously proud of the service we provide to Cranwell Court residents and their families,” Louise said.

“That, alongside the considerable dedication shown by colleagues to transform this service in recent years, has made this an extremely difficult decision.

“However, we firmly believe that this is the right decision for the organisation and, most importantly, for the people that call Cranwell Court home and rely so much on the services it provides.”

Cranwell Court is the only registered care facility owned by Longhurst Group and the organisation believes that another provider would be better placed to take it forward to ensure that residents and their families can continue to receive the very best service possible.

I would like to reassure residents, their families and our colleagues that we will retain our commitment to Cranwell Court, right up until any transfer goes through. We will not be reducing the service we provide in any way and I know that our staff will continue to show the dedication, professionalism and compassion that makes Cranwell Court such a special place.

“We recognise that a provider with greater resource, particularly greater technological resource, will be able to deliver improvements that will hugely benefit the residents and ensure higher levels of personalised care,” Louise added.

“Cranwell Court plays an active role in the local community and we want to ensure that it will remain that way for years to come. We are committed to finding an organisation that shares our values and our vision for its future.

“It is important that we take our time to find a like-minded, high-quality care organisation with a strong CQC record that is committed to preserving the quality and continuity of the service provided.”

Longhurst Group currently offers a wide range of care and support services to over 4,000 people and employs over 800 colleagues to deliver these services. Despite the proposed sale of Cranwell Court, care and support will remain a key priority going forward.

“As an organisation, we remain absolutely committed to providing high-quality care and support and improving everything we do in these areas,” Louise said.

“I would like to reassure residents, their families and our colleagues that we will retain our commitment to Cranwell Court, right up until any transfer goes through.

“We will not be reducing the service we provide in any way and I know that our staff will continue to show the dedication, professionalism and compassion that makes Cranwell Court such a special place.”