Ban on overseas care homes recruitment is “crushing blow”

Charities have described the government’s decision to halt overseas recruitment for individuals working in care homes as a “crushing blow” to an already pressured sector.

The decision to close social care visas to new applications from abroad is part of a series of measures announced in the immigration white paper. The paper aims to reshape the immigration system towards those who contribute most to economic growth, with higher skills standards for graduates and workers.

The Home Office said that for a transition period until 2028, while the workforce strategy is being developed and rolled out, it will permit visa extensions and in-country switching for those already here. This will be kept under review.

Cruel to end overseas care home recruitment

Care England, however, said it was a crushing blow to an already fragile sector, and the Government was kicking those working in it while they were already down.

Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, added: “For years, the sector has been propping itself up with dwindling resources, rising costs, and mounting vacancies. International recruitment wasn’t a silver bullet, but it was a lifeline. Taking it away now, with no warning, no funding, and no alternative, is not just short-sighted – it’s cruel.

“We’re told to wait for the Employment Rights Bill and a Fair Pay Agreement, but those reforms are years away and come with no significant funding attached. In the meantime, we’ve lost 70,000 domestic workers over the last two years, vacancies still remain sky-high, and many providers are on the brink of collapse. Who do Ministers think is going to care for people tomorrow, next week, or next month?

“Once again, social care is being sacrificed to score political points. There’s a dangerous pattern emerging; action is too slow where it’s needed, and too fast when it’s harmful. The sector cannot take any more. We need proper funding, a real workforce plan, and immediate recognition that without care, the NHS, our communities, and countless families will fall apart.”

End abuse of the system

The white paper said the introduction of this visa route has led to significant concerns over the abuse and exploitation of individual workers. Although it has taken steps to address these concerns, such as restricting access to overseas recruitment unless employers have first tried to recruit from the in-country redeployment pool, the evidence shows more needs to be done.

It recognises that sometimes labour shortages are not due to a lack of skills. For example, vacancies in the social care workforce are largely driven by historic levels of poor pay and poor terms and conditions, leading to low domestic recruitment and retention rates.

This Government says it is committed to tackling these issues and establishing Fair Pay Agreements. These agreements will empower workers, employers, and other sector representatives to negotiate improvements in the terms of employment. They will move the UK away from a dependence on overseas workers to fulfil our care needs.

Alison Bloomer

Alison Bloomer is Editor of Learning Disability Today. She has over 25 years of experience writing for medical journals and trade publications. Subjects include healthcare, pharmaceuticals, disability, insurance, stock market and emerging technologies. She is also a mother to a gorgeous 13-year-old boy who has a learning disability.

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