MORE staff at a Weymouth business have come forward to raise concerns following an Echo report.

As previously reported, a number of staff at Weymouth Manor Care Home said they had not been paid and that some workers had been made redundant and there had been cuts to services.

The business is operated by Chanctonbury Care Homes, and owner Barry Sinclair told the Echo last week that the business was ‘robust’, ‘financially sound’ and ‘debt free’.

More staff have contacted the Echo since then.

It has been stressed that the quality of care being provided at the home is not in question but the way some staff have allegedly been treated in terms of pay.

An employee said: “I was one of the 17 paid late. I was supposed to receive my money on the Wednesday, was given assurances that it would be paid on the Thursday, but it wasn’t until the next Wednesday that we received anything.

“One member who was made redundant still has not received pay.

“The morale is really low; a number of staff are leaving at the end of the month and we are wondering, will there be enough money to pay them too?

“The residents are picking up on it, which is a shame as it is such a beautiful building with staff who are really committed to the best care possible.”

Another worker, who is on sick leave, said: “I joined the company last year and when I got there it was a five-star place.

“Things suddenly went downhill after a manager was replaced and then the staff cutbacks came."

The staff member has made claims about the amount of pay she has received.

She added: “If the company is so robust, why have I not been paid to the full amount?"

Meanwhile, another staff member said she thought the original Echo article put the home in a bad light which she said wasn't fair.

She said it's not acceptable that people weren't paid on time and they have a right to raise concerns.

But she said staff are just trying to do their job and care for the residents and the home shouldn't be viewed in such a negative way.

In our previous article, it was claimed the Care Quality Commission intervened over the rehiring of agency staff in a recent inspection - however the CQC has said this is not the case.

A spokesperson said: “CQC doesn’t have any powers to intervene in disputes between staff and providers, and doesn’t have any regulatory powers related to a provider’s finances.

“However, if these issues begin to have an impact on people’s care and treatment, we will address this.

"We have recently undertaken an assessment of Weymouth Manor, which in part looked at how well the home was being led, which includes how they manage issues and potential risks to people’s care.

"Our assessment of Weymouth Manor will be published on our website.”