Care homes belonging to a private firm are to be brought under the control of Barnet Council.

Three homes owned by The Fremantle Trust – including one that was heavily criticised by the care watchdog earlier this year – will be run by Your Choice Barnet, which is owned by the council, from early July.

Apthorp Care Centre in Nurserymans Road, which provides care for older people with learning disabilities and dementia, was put into special measures after being rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Inspectors visiting the home in December found dirty toilets and bathrooms – some with damaged floors – that were being inappropriately used for storage.

Showers at the home were out of use and were due to undergo a refit after legionella bacteria were found in the water systems.

The manager told inspectors people were able to have baths – but all the baths were dirty and five were being used to store clothes and other items, including Christmas decorations.

There were sometimes not enough staff to care for people in the home, and some workers had not been given appropriate training.

The CQC found the provider had failed to address regulatory breaches identified on a previous visit and further breaches had taken place.

The two other homes run by The Fremantle Trust – Meadowside and Dell Field Court – were both rated good in their most recent inspections but are also being brought under council control.

Chief executive of The Fremantle Trust Sara Livadeas said: “The Fremantle Trust has delivered person-centred care and support services for older people on behalf of the London Borough of Barnet since 2001.

“Though this has been a successful partnership, the services within Barnet are no longer aligned with The Fremantle Trust strategy, and we have reached agreement with the council to terminate the contract.”

Ms Livadeas added that the trust would make every effort to ensure there was a seamless transition to the new arrangements.

A council spokesperson said: “We have agreed with The Fremantle Trust to transfer its care and support services for older people to the council’s arms-length company, Your Choice Barnet.

“We’ll work with both organisations to ensure high standards of care are delivered to older people and their families throughout this process.

“There are no jobs at risk, and we expect the transition to take place in early July.”