Ivybank

Last week I received an email from the new deputy manager at Ivybank Residential Care Home which is reopening tomorrow under new ownership.

She didn't go into a great deal of detail but did mention that the premises have been extensively refurbished and redecorated, has new management, new staff, etc.

I understand that their recent open day was fairly well attended by the usual suspects. Social Services, local care managers, prospective clients... Well... Their younger relatives actually... All of whom were described as being suitable impressed by the premises and the staff.

Unfortunately none of the local councillors were able to attend which they naturally found a bit disappointing. With local elections later this week, I certainly wouldn't have missed the opportunity to 'show my support' for local business.


One thing I was slightly surprised to hear was that the new owner is keeping the existing name. As some of you may know, Ivybank was closed just before Christmas last year.

I don't have many details and what I do have certainly wouldn't help the new owner - mud sticks as the saying goes. Suffice it to say that the only connection with the previous regime is a single member of the night staff.

Needless to say, I wish them all the very best of British Luck.


By an interesting coincidence, the young lady who emailed me is the former accounts clerk from W.H.Smiths who seems to have 'landed on her feet' after the appalling way she was treated there.

After all the manager's assurances about being "fair", she was the only one to lose her job. While the abusive individual who brought her husband along to help 'browbeat' the manager didn't lose a single hour, despite having received a written warning last year for exactly the same thing, sans-husband.

Naturally, having now made a sort of 'personal' contact with her. I grabbed the opportunity to get her version of the events leading up to her 'departure'.

Or rather, I tried to...

She wasn't very forthcoming. In fact, I suspect she thought I was being just a little impertinent as she was quite blunt in telling me to 'Bugger Off!'

One thing is for certain. Unlike the previous owner and their 24 year old manager, this young lady won't compromise on important issues such as patient care. Or anything else for that matter...