DEVASTATED workers who lost their jobs when a failing care home closed are still waiting for their final month’s wages.

It’s thought around 50 people who worked at Marlborough House in Parkstone until its recent closure are now out of pocket.

Owner Abdul Jaffer closed the care home on February 20, claiming it was unviable.

His decision followed a damning report by the Care Quality Commission, who said the home failed five out of the seven standards assessed.

Staff continued to work at the home until its closure but, although they received pay slips for their final month’s salary, their wages were not paid into their accounts last Friday.

Mr Jaffer confirmed staff had not yet been paid and said he was currently working with his bank and accountant to find a solution.

He said it was too soon to comment further.

In a letter to staff at the beginning of February, informing them of the closure, employees were assured they would be “paid at the end of February in the normal way”.

Care home chef Annette Videgrain, 53, said: “This is a very big problem for me. I was living from month to month as it was and now I’ve had to stop all my direct debits going out because I just haven’t got the money to pay them.

“I’ve not got another job yet and I have no idea when I will get February’s wages, which amount to just over £1,100.

“A lot of the staff are younger people with children, they are going to be struggling to manage too.

“I feel very let down because I know Abdul Jaffer is not out of pocket, he is not suffering like us.

“That is money that I have actually worked for.

“I worked right up until the last minute because I cared about the residents. I have worked for him for 15 years but he doesn’t care about what happens to us or to the residents.”

Healthcare assistant Melanie Bishop, 33, from Poole said: “I worked here for two years. I’m just so angry.

“I’ve got two children and I’m supposed to move to Blandford but now I’m not sure I can afford to.

“We all worked until the day the home closed because we cared about the residents.

“Nobody cares what happens to us now.”

She added: “We could have just left him in the lurch but we didn’t.”

Another member of staff, a registered general nurse, who did not want to be named, said: “This is outrageous on two levels.

“Firstly the financial aspect because people have got bills to pay and children to feed.

“And secondly everyone has worked tirelessly for the residents.

“Every single member of staff cared deeply about the residents that were here.

“What’s especially soul-destroying is that it was such a hard job to do and now we have not even been paid for it.”

Last week, the CQC confirmed it had cancelled the registration of C B S Nursing Care Limited, the organisation running Marlborough House.

This action means the provider can no longer operate a care service from the Bournemouth Road premises.

Action was imminent

  • Marlborough House Nursing Home was a home for 52 older people with complex health needs, including dementia.
  • During the CQC’s inspection in November 2014, 36 people were living at the home.
  • Ten breaches of care regulations were found in the last inspection.
  • Had Mr Jaffer not decided to close it voluntarily, it would have been subject to enforcement action, the report revealed.