A care home near Alford that was previously investigated by the police will be turned into a residential rehab service to help people recover from drug and alcohol problems.
Specialist care and support provider Phoenix Futures has bought the Muirhead Care Home at Muir of Fowlis.
The service runs registered care homes for people suffering from drug and alcohol abuse, anxiety, and depression.
Once the rehabilitation centre opens, it is planned to house 30 residents and employ around 12 members of staff.
Phoenix Future says they are developing the residential rehabilitation service in Grampian after the Scottish Government highlighted it as a “priority area” for support.
Muirhead Care Home
Muirhead Care Home is an established care home, looking after elderly residents.
In 2018, the home received a damning report from the Care Inspectorate and was forced to close its doors due to concerns for the safety of residents.
The service was investigated after inspectors found evidence of vulnerable people being tied to chairs with belts, as well as residents not being given enough food or essential medicines.
Later in the year, police arrested a 79-year-old man and two women aged 78 and 56, following inquiries into concerns surrounding resident’s welfare.
However, no one was prosecuted following an investigation and the home later reopened.
What are the plans?
Now, Phoenix Futures has submitted a planning application to Aberdeenshire Council to “create a safe and welcoming environment” for residents to start their recovery.
The care provider is planning to extend the building by around 172 square feet and change up the layout to provide residents with ensuite bedrooms and upgraded areas.
A new glazed entrance lobby with a flat roof is planned to replace the existing porch, which is rotting.
The sunroom at the far northern point of the building will be taken down to reduce the impact on the neighbours.
Additionally, the first floor of the north wing, which is currently used as storage, will be converted to provide more ensuite bedrooms. A fire escape stair will be installed where the sunroom has been demolished.
Dense screening will be put up around the terrace area to provide some privacy and reduce sound from travelling.
The service is also proposing to build a large garden room behind the former farmhouse that will be made from timber cladding and a slate roof to create a “sympathetic” finish.
Finally, they want to create 15 parking spaces to the southwest of the building, with a one-way system in place.
Were locals consulted?
Neighbouring properties and landowners have been contacted by the service and a director attended the Alford and Donside Community Council meeting to present the plans.
Councillor Jeff Goodhall attended the meeting and raised worries from locals at the time, who had reached out to him with concerns about security if the rehab came to the area.
While he recognises a need for such a facility, Mr Goodhall stressed residents should be kept up to date with all the developments, and has been working to provide them with more information since.
He said: “Some of my constituents have approached me and said they’ve looked at this and they were concerned there might be security issues and local people may feel unsafe.
“A lot of the people who attend this clinic may be there instead of prison. And if that’s the case, local people need to be protected first and secure, and should be kept up to date with all developments and accept all developments locally.”
Rehab to tackle drug abuse in north-east
The new service aims to give “specialist” support to help people recover from substance abuse and prevent drug deaths in the north-east.
A spokesman for Phoenix Futures said: “Phoenix Futures Scotland is developing a residential rehabilitation service in the Grampian area. Identified by the Scottish Government as a priority area for increasing support for people to recover from drug and alcohol problems, the new service will work with people in a safe, structured and substance-free home.
“Having completed the purchase of the property we have made an application for alterations to the property, to be followed by a full refurbishment of the building. This work will bring it to the standards we need to create a safe and welcoming environment for residents to start their journey of recovery.
“We are already engaging with the local community and will keep them informed about the service as it develops. Phoenix Futures is dedicated to helping tackle the levels of drug harm and death in Scotland.
“This service in particular will give the specialist support needed to help people recover.”
Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership has also been approached for comment. The planning application can be found here.
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