News - Residential Care

The manager of a care home that was the scene of a fatal fire has been found guilty of a fire safety breach. Karen Sykes, 41, from Sale, pleaded guilty at Manchester Crown Court on 18th March following the fire at Oldfield Bank Residential Care Home. She was fined £500 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £15. The charge was for breach of article 23 of the Fire Safety Order - a failure to take care of herself and other relevant persons.   more info

The owners of a care home where 14 residents died in a fire were told almost a year before the tragedy that they did not have a "suitable and sufficient" health and safety policy in place, an inquiry heard yesterday. more info

Southern Cross Healthcare Limited has been fined £100,000, including costs of £20,000, after pleading guilty at Guildford Crown Court in December, to charges relating to inadequate fire safety standards at a care home in Surrey. Surrey Fire and Rescue Service pursued the court action against the company following an incident in January 2007 when they attended a boiler room fire at Norfolk House, Weybridge - one of Southern Cross's 720 Care Homes nationwide.   more info