Care homes call for change in foreign worker rules to fix staffing woes

With care homes struggling to find enough staff to fill care vacancies across the country, the government has been urged to change immigration restrictions on low paid foreign workers to address the staffing crisis in the care sector.

Care England, which represents care homes, is demanding the government include all care workers to the shortage occupation list used to grant visas and reduce the qualifying salary level from £25,600, which is currently required for the recruitment of overseas care workers.

The list, as it stands, includes care managers and senior care staff but not lower paid workers in care homes.

Prior to the pandemic starting in 2020, there were 112,000 care vacancies in England with jobs paying £8.50 an hour on average, according to Skills for Care. The care retention and recruitment crisis is about to get worse as over 70,000 workers will be forced to leave their care jobs, when Covid vaccination becomes mandatory for employment in care homes this November.

'Care sector will crumple' without immediate help

“Quite simply care providers are at breaking point”, said Martin Green, the chief executive of Care England in a statement released on behalf of care home providers.

“The writing is on the wall and without immediate help, as given to the NHS, the social care sector will crumple and not be there to support the NHS over the winter let alone in years to come”.

Martin Green wrote to Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Sajid Javid in August to make clear the workforce issues threatening the care sector and what practical steps the minister must take to tackle the care recruitment crisis.

Care England has recommended the government expand the care workforce by recruiting from abroad. It is demanding the government waives the Immigration Skills Charge for care workers.

The care home leader wants to see a ‘fast-track system’ to grant visas under sponsorship licenses for people working in social care.

The care body has also recommended bonuses and increases in pay for staff, direct support to help people suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a result of working on the frontline during the pandemic and the continuation of COVID funds for the care sector.

Care England has said it has encouraged care homes to share their practical solutions with each other to help tackle recruitment and retention issues in ‘a last-ditch attempt to save the sector’ but it says government action recommended by the care body is urgently needed.

Martin Green added: “We have done an enormous amount of work on what could and should be done to help the adult social care workforce and hope that we can look to the Government for support”.