VULNERABLE people with mental health problems had to be found new homes urgently after health bosses shut an unlicensed care home home yesterday, the Daily Echo can reveal.

Staff were left in tears by the announcement at the Devere Independent Services home in Hill Lane, Southampton.

It came after concerns were raised about the home's safeguarding and care after the resignation of its manager.

Before yesterday's closure staff at the home told the Daily Echo that issues with the home not being licensed had led to it being shut.

This was confirmed by the NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which said that the situation could not be solved quickly and took the decision to close the home.

A female resident at the home, who did not want to be named, said: “I was shocked to hear it was closing because I wasn't expecting anything like this to happen.

“It was very sudden, very quick. The staff have been absolutely distraught - they are not happy at all.

“They are upset and have been crying. At the moment I've got nowhere to go, so I don't know what I'm going to do.

“It's a distressing situation.”

An employee at the home, who also did not want to be named, told the Daily Echo the previous manager had resigned several months ago, leaving the home unlicensed, but would not give any detail about why a new licence had not been applied for.

Three residents at the home at clients of Hampshire County Council, while four are clients of Southampton City Council and one a client of the London Borough of Southwark.

Plans were drawn up to safely transfer the residents to alternative placements.

A CCG spokesman revealed that the registered manager, who was also registered with the CQC as provider, had left the service. This meant that the home was unregistered and did not comply with the Health and Social Care Act.

The spokesman said: “Following safeguarding concerns raised about the care and services being provided to residents in the care of Devere Independent Services, it has become apparent that this service is not registered with the Care Quality Commission.

“Unfortunately this is not a situation that can be resolved quickly, therefore Southampton City Council and the two other authorities who have clients in the home have no choice but to move the current clients using this service to new placements.

“We are working in conjunction with the clients, their families and the management of Devere Independent Services to ensure that these moves are completed safely with the best interests of the clients being paramount.”

The nine-bed home cared for residents with a variety of learning difficulties or mental health issues and met all required standards at a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection in June 27.