The company running a residential care home in Langton Matravers near Swanage in Dorset has ceased trading with a loss of jobs and with residents now having to find new homes.
The Old Rectory care home in the High Street, next door to St George’s church, caters for those over 60 and those with health conditions including dementia. At its last inspection by the Care Quality Commision in January 2023, it had 22 residents.
The Old Rectory was a well regarded care home set in a popular village
“This is not a decision we are taking lightly”
Hantona, the company that runs The Old Rectory care home, also owns another care home, Delph House in Broadstone in Dorset, which is also closing.
In a statement, Hantona company director Jacqueline Haigh said:
“It is with great sadness that we, at Hantona, have taken the tough decision to cease trading. This is not a decision we are taking lightly – the care homes have been our source of great love and passion for many years, and knowing all the residents has been a joy for us.
“Financial difficulties and circumstantial factors have laid heavily into our trading ability, hence we have moved to close the home and cease trading.
“We have taken the difficult decision, at this time, in order to protect all the residents of the homes, their families and all that work at the homes.
“The local authorities are aware of the situation and we are working closely with them to support all the residents and their families to find new places to live and to ensure that people are able to move quickly and safely.”
The Old Rectory is next door to St George’s Church in Langton Matravers
Unpaid wages
It’s understood that an insolvency firm is working to liquidate the company by the end of January 2024.
In the meantime, staff that haven’t been paid for work in December 2023 have been told by the company that they should be paid in full for last month and for any work in January 2024 via the insolvency process that prioritises paying staff wages before other creditors.
Wordsworth House care home in Swanage, closed in April 2021 and has remained vacant
Follows closure of Swanage care home
The closure of this care home in Langton Matravers follows the shutting down of Wordsworth House in Swanage, which ceased operating in April 2021.
It too cited financial problems following the Covid pandemic. Wordsworth House has been put up for sale but remains empty and boarded up.
It’s not known what will now happen to The Old Rectory premises.
