SPECIALIST business property adviser, Christie & Co, has announced the sale of Craigard Care Group – a portfolio of three established care homes located in Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, and Moray – on behalf of the joint administrators, Graham Smith and Tom MacLennan of FRP Advisory.

Founded in 1996, the three homes – Wakefield House Care Home in Buckie, Weston View Care Home in Keith, and Riverside Nursing Home in Aberdeen – comprise 111 private rooms with en suite facilities across two purpose-built modern homes and a period villa with purpose-built extensions. They provided a complete range of care services including the provision of specialist nursing, dementia, respite and palliative care.

Following a confidential sales process with Martin Daw at Christie & Co, Weston View Care Home in Keith and Wakefield House Care Home in Cullen have been sold to Parklands Care Limited which operates a further 10 care homes across Moray and the Highlands. Riverside Care Home in Aberdeen has been sold to Renaissance Care Limited which operates a further 16 care homes across Scotland, four of which are in Aberdeen.

At Wakefield House, Parklands plans to widen the pathway and entrance to the home to improve access for people with reduced mobility, create a new sunroom extension to deliver a larger communal space, upgrade laundry facilities, create a new hairdresser and improve staff changing facilities. At Weston View, there are plans to introduce a new café, doubling as an event space, create a more welcoming entrance area, expand the home’s four day rooms and add balconies on the first floor to provide residents with outdoor space.

Renaissance Care is committed to providing residents at Riverside with the best possible care and living environment. Since taking over the home, the group has undertaken a number of improvements, including upgrading the electrics to ensure safety, and initiating a redecoration program to modernise the aesthetics of the home, helping to create a more welcoming atmosphere. It is also working closely with architects to develop layout plans that will maximise the use of space and create additional day rooms and communal areas, adding additional shower rooms and increasing storage throughout. These upgrades are designed to enhance the environment for residents’ comfort and safety.

Ron Taylor, Managing Director at Parklands Ltd, commented: “Our formal acquisition of Weston View and Wakefield House ends a period of uncertainty for both homes – for the residents, their loved ones and the employees. Since March we have been working with the administrators to secure the long-term future of these homes and I am delighted that they have now been incorporated into the Parklands group.

“Keith and Cullen are very much part of our Moray heartland, and I am pleased that we have been able to come to an agreement that ensures continuity of care for residents, gives peace of mind to relatives and safeguards dozens of local jobs. We look forward to working with the teams at Weston View and Wakefield House to improve care standards and provide a better living environment for residents. Both homes are so important to the communities they serve, and we are determined to elevate them to a higher standard.”

Robert Kilgour, Chairman of Renaissance Care, commented: “We’re delighted to welcome Riverside into the Renaissance Care group. The home, its residents, and its dedicated staff are invaluable additions to our expanding portfolio. With our commitment to strong leadership, quality care and continuous investment, we are confident in our ability to enhance the environment and living experience at Riverside. Our existing four care homes in the Aberdeen area made Riverside an especially attractive acquisition, aligning with our strategic growth plans and creating peer support networks within the concentrated Aberdeen region.”

Martin Daw, Senior Director at Christie & Co, commented: “Having worked for many years with the vendor prior to the administration process, it was evident that the group was one of the many that has, and will, succumb to the ongoing operational pressures that the social care sector is facing. Despite high occupancy, the challenges of recruiting staff meant that the business was crippled under the weight of agency costs and, with utility and food costs also increasing, the business could not survive.

“Despite a poor immediate outlook for the homes, local operators with wider staffing resources and operational synergies felt they could stabilise the trading position. Working closely with FRP, we approached the situation differently from traditional administration disposals. We agreed management contracts and exchanged contracts so that. on the day of administration. the new providers were able to attend the homes and begin operating immediately whilst awaiting re-registration with the Care Inspectorate. This gave comfort to staff that their jobs were secure and comfort to families and residents.”

The homes were sold for an undisclosed price.