A COMPANY which stepped in to save a care home that was threatened with closure has been honoured with two prestigious awards.

Chestnuts Care Home in Cambridge Park, Wanstead, was on the point of folding in April, after the then owner Avril Stein said she could no longer afford to run it.

But Westgate Healthcare stepped in, and the company has won the London-wide care employer award at the Great British Care Awards.

And operations manager Gayane Selimyan won the title of best frontline leader.

A spokesman for the Care Awards said: "She showed that she understood the needs of the business, the needs of those that use social care services and the needs of the workforce.

“Gayane showed she is frontline leader that any company would be proud to have.”

Tara Teubner, director of Westgate Healthcare said: “Our team at Chestnuts have been through a lot with our company taking over their home earlier this year, and they have all worked tirelessly to turn around the home.”