Haringey Council has stopped the movement of people out of the Osborne Grove care home as its future is considered.

The deputy leader has sent an email to all councillors notifying them of the change and adding that a review of the options for the future of the home will now be brought forward to Cabinet in the summer.

Osborne Grove, in Upper Tollington Park – the borough’s only remaining publicly-run care home – was rated ‘inadequate’ by the Care Quality Commission following an inspection in March 2017.

Senior staff at the home admitted residents had not been able to have a bath for more than three months.

Despite making improvements in the following months, councillors voted in December to close the home on care and safety grounds.

They said they were concerned at the pace of improvements at the home and the £1 million overspend required to bring it up to standard.

Rumours of a split in the Labour group over the fate of the care home emerged in the run-up to council elections on May 3.

The Liberal Democrats, who pledged to expand and re-open the home in their manifesto, welcomed the possible U-turn, which comes after a shift to the left in the Labour leadership.

Cllr Pippa Connor, Haringey Liberal Democrat spokesperson on health, said: “I am delighted that the council is finally acting upon scrutiny recommendations from back in February.

"Pausing the closure of Osborne Grove will hopefully remove the immediate stress for the families who were having to look for places in other homes and provide some stability for the staff.

“The council must use the next few months to work with the families and other care providers to not only look at what is in the best interests of current residents, but to pursue a ‘good’ rating from the CQC and develop a nursing home that will provide excellent standards of care in the future.”

A Haringey Council spokesperson said: “We have paused any further move of residents from Osborne Grove nursing home whilst we await an appraisal of options for the future of the home, which will be brought to Cabinet this summer.

“The wellbeing of residents remains our priority, and we are continuing to meet with them to discuss their individual needs.”