Rickeston Mill Care Home, located near Milford Haven, has issued a public statement following allegations surrounding the dismissal of one of their former employees, Princejot Kaur.

Kaur, a 24-year-old nurse from Punjab, India, arrived in the UK earlier this year after paying a substantial amount to a third-party visa agent who promised her a job in the UK.

Four months into her employment at Rickeston Mill, Kaur was unexpectedly dismissed, which has raised questions about the treatment of foreign care workers and the recruitment processes used by UK care homes.

Kaur, who now has just 39 days to secure new employment or risk having to return to India, is no longer appealing her dismissal, but trying to find another job to maintain her visa status.

Her case has sparked local interest and led to our further investigation into the practices of third-party agents and the transparency of employment processes within the care home sector.

In their official statement, Rickeston Mill Care Home reiterated their dedication to adhering to regulatory requirements and ensuring that both residents and staff are supported. The care home expressed shock at learning about Kaur’s dealings with a visa agent, stating that they were unaware of any third-party involvement in her recruitment process.

“We pride ourselves on operating to the highest standards and adhering to all regulatory requirements and best practices,” the care home’s statement read. “The wellbeing of both our residents and staff remains our top priority, and we are deeply committed to maintaining a safe, supportive, and compliant environment for everyone.”

Regarding Kaur’s situation, they added: “We were shocked and surprised to learn about the involvement of a third-party visa agent in the case of our former employee, Princejot Kaur.

“At no point did the care home have knowledge of or engage in any dealings with this agent.”

Princejot Kaur’s journey to the UK

Princejot Kaur came to the UK after paying £23,000 to an agent who promised her a job and visa, but she later discovered that her visa cost far less, leading her to believe she had been overcharged.

Kaur’s employment at Rickeston Mill Care Home started in May 2024, but she claims that her training was insufficient, which contributed to her difficulties adjusting to the role. Four months later, she was dismissed.

In the previous article, Kaur raised concerns about her pay slips, stating that her National Insurance (NI) number was missing and that she believed her employer was not paying the required contributions to HMRC. Kaur’s HMRC app still does not show any payments, leading her to worry that her tax and NI contributions were not being properly handled.

When asked about Kaur’s concerns, Rickeston Mill Care Home responded that this was a clerical error and assured us that all taxes and NI contributions had been paid in full.

However, these payments have not yet appeared on Kaur’s HMRC app, and we have reached out to HMRC for clarification. As of this writing, HMRC has not yet provided a response.

New safeguards

Rickeston Mill Care Home has announced plans to improve its recruitment processes following the issues raised by Kaur’s case.

They have committed to introducing additional safeguards to prevent similar situations from arising in the future.

The care home has told The Pembrokeshire Herald that it is working to ensure that future employees are protected from exploitative visa agents and that all recruitment practices are transparent.

Another development following our initial article involves the anonymous employee who previously claimed that the care home staff were “thrown in with little guidance,” including Kaur.

This employee has now suddenly changed their stance on the issue.

In a signed note sent to us via email by Rickeston Mill’s management, the employee now states that they believe the training provided by the care home was in fact adequate.

Of course: we do not yet know, and will probably never know, if this statement was made freely, without any pressure from her employer.