A Wirral care home has closed down amid concerns over the building it was based in.
It is understood that Merchants House, on Prenton Road East in Prenton, Wirral, closed its doors more than three months ago.
A spokesperson for Lifeways, which managed the care home, said: “Merchants House has now closed, and the three people who were living there have now moved into new accommodation.
“All the staff working at Merchants House have been offered jobs within Lifeways.”
Addressing the cause of the closure, the spokesperson added: “We made the decision to close Merchants House in close collaboration with Wirral Council.
“Merchants House was an old building and the layout and physical environment made it difficult to provide a service to people that met their expectations.”
Merchants House received an 'inadequate' rating from the Care Quality Commission, the worst rating possible, in a report published in January 2019.
At the time, the ECHO reported that inspectors found stained bedding, a debris-littered room, and staff saying they were "scared" of their jobs.
Describing one of the bedrooms, the report read: "The floor was littered with debris, including rubbish, clothes and a used towel.
"The bed had been used to store items including gloves, clothes, pads, wipes and blankets and the wardrobe doors had been left open.
"All of this contributed to making the room appear cluttered, untidy, uncared for and uninviting.”
A slightly better picture of the care home was painted in the next report, published in July 2019, which said it had made progress “towards maintaining a safe environment”.
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One part of the document read: “A large refurbishment plan was underway at the home. This included updating en-suite shower rooms and decorating people's bedrooms and communal areas.”
Inspectors gave Merchants House a rating of ‘requires improvement’ on this occasion, the second-worst above 'inadequate' but below 'good' and 'outstanding'.
However, this was to be the last report published on the care home, as it has now closed due to problems with the “physical environment” according to Lifeways.
