A CARE home set to close, leaving more than 40 residents having to uproot to accommodation elsewhere.

Belgarth Care Home in Barrowford will shut with residents moving to other sites in Lancashire.

The service looks after generally older people or others with mental disabilities and has room for 47 residents.

Lancashire County Council said the owners of the care home, Sage Care Ltd, have decided to close the service after it was given a rating of 'requires improvement' following its latest Care Quality Commission inspection.

But owner of the care home Omar Ahmed said they had a 'business decision' to close the care home 'due to the increasing reliance on agency nurses and carers'.

He also refuted the council's claims that the care home was closing due to its recent CQC inspection.

He said: "The national shortage of care staff has crippled the NHS and other care home providers into paying inflated rates on temporary workers.

"Our residents come foremost and because we are running at a loss, I could not jeopardize their care by trying to make drastic savings.

"I would like to refute LCC's claims that we are closing for any other reason and am disappointed by their comments since we have worked so closely for 16 years.

"We will continue to work with all placement teams in relocating our residents safely to their next home."

Jackie Hanson, chief nurse at NHS East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), who commission beds from the care home, said the closure of the facility was 'very sad'.

She said: "Our concern is first and foremost for the residents and the staff who will be affected by this.

"We will work with our partners to support the residents, their families and carers and staff at the home.

"As a matter of priority we will work with Lancashire County Council, and other partners to ensure the safe and careful transfer of residents to alternative homes as soon as we are able to do so."

Dr Sakthi Karunanithi, director of public health and wellbeing for Lancashire County Council, said: "This is a difficult and unsettling time for the residents at Belgarth Care Home and their families.

"Our main concern is to ensure they are safe and well, and can be relocated to other care homes that can fully meet their needs.

"The owners of the care home, Sage Care Ltd, have decided to close the service after it was given a rating of 'requires improvement' following its latest CQC inspection.

"A meeting was held on Wednesday, October 4 to ensure people who use the service, their families, and care home staff were informed of the closure and had the opportunity to find out about plans in place to support them at this difficult time.

"It's crucial that we provide good care and support for everyone involved during what is obviously a very unsettling time. We've provided each person with a social worker or nurse assessor to give expert help and advice throughout the process.

"In addition, our staff will work with each person affected by the closure to find alternative care or nursing homes that will provide the best support for them.

"We will do all we can to ensure people are safe and well and settled in a new home as quickly as possible."