Drop in Overseas Recruits Sparks Care Staff Shortage Fears for Care Sector
Social Care providers are calling on the Government to urgently bring forward its workforce plan for the sector amidst fears of a dire shortage of staff.
Detailed Home Office data shows that it approved 89,085 visas for the health and care sector in the year to June 2024 – more than 80% down on April to June of the year before.
The decline in workers wanting to come to the UK comes after the former Conservative government introduced restrictions on foreign workers and their families in an effort to slash overall immigration.
Care providers fear that will hit the care of older, vulnerable and disabled adults as there is already a shortage of some 131,000 workers in the sector.
Mike Padgham, Chair of the care provider organisation, The Independent Care Group (ICG) said:
“A fall in the number of overseas staff is the last thing social care needs at the moment, as we are struggling to fill shifts as it is. The last government’s brutal measures are working and the lifeline of overseas staff to help staff homecare and care and nursing homes has been cut.
“The question is, what do we do now? As we warned at the time, no serious measures have been put in place to replace those overseas workers who have played such a key role in helping us to keep delivering care.
“We desperately need to see the new Government’s promised care workforce strategy and with it some funding measures that will help us to properly reward care workers and enable us to recruit at home, otherwise we will be in dire straits.
“Skills for Care reports that there are 131,000 vacancies in social care – with the availability of overseas staff dwindling, we are going to be very, very short.
“And as we approach winter, when staffing levels in health and social care are always placed under the greatest demand, will we be able to cope?
“With 1.6m people unable to get the care they need and demand for care growing every day, we are struggling to maintain services.”
In December, when the former Home Secretary announced restrictions on foreign workers, Care England warned about the impact this would have on our sector, but these warnings were ignored.
In May, Care England drew attention to the decrease in number of overseas care worker applications, with a reduction of over 50% between October 2023 and April 2024.
Following today’s revelation, Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England says:
“The Government is running out of time to listen. While the decision to restrict applicants was made by the previous Government, it is incumbent on those now in power to take ownership of their inherited situation. They must make the changes needed to ensure the social care sector remains sustainable.”
“Our dedicated workforce is social care’s biggest asset, and without the proper measures in place to draw in domestic recruits, the gap left by international recruits will reach an untenable level. Adult social care needs a fully funded workforce plan, with boosted pay, terms and conditions, the change for career progression, parity of esteem with NHS colleagues. Without this, our sector risks not having enough staff to deliver the care and support this country’s needs now, or in the future.”
Figures suggest social care will need to recruit an extra 540,000 care workers to cope with rising demand, by 2040
