It’s been less than two years since skilled worker visas were opened up to people overseas to tackle the record staff shortages experienced in care homes across the UK. But now, as part of Home Office plans to cut migration levels, the Government have announced changes which many care companies fear will put off potential foreign recruits from coming over to help our social care sector in the future. From this spring, overseas care workers will no longer be able to bring their family with them to the UK using their visa.
According to the legal migration minister, Tom Pursglove, the decision has come about as the Government feel “there is a much better balance to strike” when evaluating the ratio of workers to family members that are coming to the UK. Home Office fi gures suggest that out of the 144,000 care workers who arrived here last year, 174,000 family members were brought with them. This new legislation has caused immense controversy, with critics viewing this as a dangerous attempt from the Conservative party to try and reduce migration fi gures before the next general election, to the detriment of our struggling social care sector.
There were 152,000 social care vacancies in England in 2022-23, equivalent to 9.9% of all roles. Last year, there was also a 13% drop in the applications for those wanting to go and study nursing. But why?
The low pay and cost-of-living pressures is a significant factor which is putting off many UK citizens from working in the sector, especially when they are often paid more for stacking shelves in supermarkets than they are working long shifts looking after the ill and elderly. Staff recruited from abroad were thus celebrated for “saving” the social care system from collapse when they first arrived on our shores, and yet now - in a desperate attempt to appeal to voters before the general election - our Conservative government is willing to turn their back on these very same people. In a sector where the pay is so low, ensuring a better life for their families is one of the major motivations for workers from overseas to come to the UK and work in care homes. 28 year old Ghanaian Harriet Mensah, a nurse with Stow Healthcare based in Norfolk, responded to the Government’s statement, saying: “Growing up in Ghana, I always dreamt of practising nursing somewhere in Europe.
My husband has played a vital role. He has been able to help me take care of my child. Obviously I can’t do it alone.” The measures, which were announced by Home Secretary James Cleverly in December, are proclaimed to be “robust changes” which will “crack down on rising migration” and “curb abuse of the migration system”.
Yet those working in the care sector fear this will have dire consequences. Mike Padgham, who runs five care homes in North Yorkshire, said: “I think we are going to find more businesses failing and care homes closing.” Caroline Abraham, from the Care and Support Alliance, also voiced her concerns, explaining that people needing care would “pay a heavy price” for these changes to the migration system. The Government has attempted to address these issues by unveiling a new package of measures to help to recruit and retain more UK citizens into the sector by providing accredited qualifications, digital training and funded apprenticeships, but many fear this will simply not be enough.
Reforms to how the care system is funded have also been announced, although these have been pushed back to beyond the next general election.