Olinda Chapel’s Gain Healthcare named in tribunal judgment as worker wins case for wrongful dismissal after being lured with false promises, squalid housing, and threats of deportation.
UK Court
By Investigations Desk | Special Report
In a landmark employment tribunal ruling that could ignite a wider reckoning, UK-based care company Gain Healthcare Limited, directed by Zimbabwean socialite Olinda Chapel, has been found to have wrongfully dismissed a Zimbabwean care worker it sponsored after charging her £2,619 in illegal pre-employment fees, housing her in uninhabitable conditions, and allegedly threatening her with deportation when she raised concerns.
The case of Ms Moreblessing Chikoto, a nurse aide from Zimbabwe, has now become a symbol of the UK’s broken care sponsorship system, which rights groups say is riddled with exploitation, misinformation, and the commodification of migrant labour under the guise of legal employment.
OTHERS LIKED:
A Shocking Testimony of Exploitation
Ms Chikoto’s tribunal testimony, supported by her sister and documents submitted as evidence, detailed how she:
- Responded to Facebook adverts by Ms Olinda Chapel promoting “up to £2,500/month” care jobs in the UK,
- Paid £2,219 for sponsorship and an additional £400 for online training, none of which was legally required,
- Was housed in a mouldy, electricity-starved property where she was forced to share a bed with a stranger,
- Was shouted at and threatened with visa cancellation after paramedics raised safeguarding and modern slavery concerns about her condition,
- Was sacked on the spot after her sister shared photos of her living conditions in a support group for Zimbabwean carers.
The Employment Tribunal found that Gain Healthcare had unlawfully withheld her final week’s pay, awarding her £479.45 for wrongful dismissal. The company denied any wrongdoing but failed to justify the summary termination.
“I Thought I Was Coming to Build a Life – They Treated Me Like Baggage”
“I came to the UK to build a life, not to be abused,” Ms Chikoto said in a statement following the ruling. “I was promised work, housing, and support. Instead, I slept in damp, dark rooms, begged for electricity, and was cast aside when I fell ill.”
Her testimony paints a chilling portrait of how some care companies under the cover of legal migration pathways are reportedly profiting from desperate workers, exploiting their labour, and discarding them without recourse once complaints arise.
Olinda Chapel Named, Denies Abuse
In court documents, Olinda Chapel-Nkomo, listed as the director of Gain Healthcare, acknowledged receiving payments and making decisions related to Ms Chikoto’s dismissal. She denied all allegations of misconduct, including threats or accommodation neglect.
But the tribunal found parts of Chapel’s evidence “unreliable,” especially regarding the company’s responsibilities toward the provided housing and the alleged knowledge of police involvement in a modern slavery investigation.
Chapel was directly quoted in the company’s defense, describing Ms Chikoto as “careless” and denying any legal responsibility for the poor housing conditions.
The Bigger Picture: Thousands Affected
Ms Chikoto’s case is just one among tens of thousands. Rights charities estimate that over 40,000 migrant care workers many from Zimbabwe, Nigeria, and India are now in limbo after sponsor companies were stripped of their licences for labour violations.
The Work Rights Centre, which advocates for migrant workers, says urgent reforms and compensation schemes are now overdue.
“If this were any other sector, it would be called fraud. We need prosecutions, not just fines,” said CEO Dora-Olivia Vicol.
A Compensation Scheme or a Cover-up?
Critics are urging the UK government to introduce a formal compensation fund for defrauded workers like Ms Chikoto funded by fines against rogue employers. But so far, ministers have sidestepped the issue, instead focusing on restricting future foreign recruitment.
“This isn’t just a scandal. It’s state-enabled abuse hiding behind visa policy,” said one campaigner. “We cannot allow influencers with glossy Facebook pages to recruit the vulnerable, take their money, and leave them to rot in a cold room.”
Justice – But Not Enough
Although the tribunal awarded Ms Chikoto just under £500, campaigners say the judgment is a watershed moment that opens the door to civil lawsuits, possible Home Office investigations, and criminal proceedings if systemic fraud is proven.
“Zola, Moreblessing, and thousands like them are not just failed migrants,” Vicol said. “They’re victims of a system designed to fail them.”
