AN employee of a care home in Chippenham, which is set to close its doors on Christmas Eve, has said it was the worst place she has ever worked.

The woman, who has asked not to be named, slammed the management at Goldenley Care Home in Forest Lane today for mismanaging unhappy employees and harbouring an environment for neglect over the last couple of years.

Director Satbir Singh Ahluwalia decided to close the home two weeks ago, which was graded as inadequate and put into special measures by the CQC in September, citing financial difficulties brought on by sanctions put in place by the CQC and Wiltshire Council.

"There is a lot of neglect with regards to care and the home is one of the worst places I have ever worked so I'm not surprised that it has closed," she said. "My experience has totally put me off working in care ever again.

"While I have been there I don't think many members of staff have been happy. You don't feel like you can talk to management about your problems and you feel stuck and angry."

While working at the home, the woman said she had seen members of staff confiscating cigarettes from residents and depriving them of their breaks as well. The CQC report also alluded to the unauthorised restriction on cigarettes to "minimise the risk of fire and injury but also to minimise the amount smoked."

The report also refers to six breaches of care regulations, unkept rooms, stained walls and some incidents of staff unresponsiveness to residents' needs. It did however, refer positively to some staff engagements with residents. 

Wiltshire Police also confirmed last week that an investigation into an allegation of abuse by a member of staff is coming to an end.

Speaking about her experience the employee, who had also reported her experiences to the CQC, said: "I know staff have got a lot to do an I appreciate that but I don't think some of them cared. The rooms were left untidy, fags were taken from residents and sometimes they were deprived of their cigarette breaks too.

"The place could be very two-faced aside from five or six carers who went above and beyond and I'm disgusted by it."

Mr Ahluwalia has been contacted for a comment.