New immigration rules 'spell disaster for care sector'

The government has unveiled its new Australian-style points-based system for migrants wishing to work in the UK, with care leaders warning the policy could force care homes and home care agencies to close.

The government plans to introduce the new system, when freedom of movement is no longer applicable in Britain due to Brexit, and people from the EU are treated the same as other foreign workers.

Under the plans there will be no visas for what the government terms as low skilled migrants earning under £25,600. Care workers tend to earn less than this so would not be eligible.

There are estimated to be around 92,000 EU care workers currently in the UK, making up seven per cent of the care workforce. This varies from region to region, with EU workers being two per cent of the care workforce in the north-east and 12 per cent in London.

Christina McAnea, assistant general secretary for the union Unison called the proposals “absolute disaster for the care sector” and said: “Care doesn’t even get a mention in the home secretary’s plans”.

'There's still way too few care workers to meet demand'

She added: “Companies and councils can’t recruit enough staff from the UK so have to rely on care workers from elsewhere. But even with these migrant employees, there’s still way too few care workers to meet demand.

"Care work is highly skilled, but low paid, so falls foul of the government’s arbitrary immigration threshold."

Colin Angel, policy director of the United Kingdom Homecare Association (UKHCA) also expressed dismay over the plans saying: “Cutting off the supply of prospective care workers under a new migration system, will pave the way for more people waiting unnecessarily in hospital or going without care.”

Other sectors such as the food and drink industry, agriculture and hospitality also look set to be affected, with the government telling them they ‘will need to adjust’.

'UK businesses will need to adapt and adjust to end of free movement'

The Home Office states: ‘UK businesses will need to adapt and adjust to the end of free movement, and we will not seek to recreate the outcomes from free movement within the points-based system. As such, it is important that employers move away from a reliance on the UK's immigration system as an alternative to investment in staff retention, productivity, and wide investment in technology and automation.’

Mr Angel responded to this adding: “Telling employers to adjust, in a grossly underfunded care system, is simply irresponsible."

The new system will come into force in January 2021 in a bid by the government to cut the number of migrants coming to the UK.

Mario Kreft, the chair of Care Forum Wales, called on Home Secretary Priti Patel not to “close the door” on overseas workers at a time when the sector was already suffering because of a major recruitment crisis.

He wants her to grant special exemptions for those working in the social care sector.

Care Forum Wales claims the new policy would lead to a loss of nursing home beds and the closure of care homes at a time when the number of over-85s in Wales is expected to more than double in the next 20 years.

Mr Kreft said: “This is something we have been warning about for a long time because it is clear that these proposals will have dire consequences for the social care sector and, more importantly, for the vulnerable people we look after.

“In recent years we have seen homes closing across Wales because their fragile finances just did not stack up because social care remains chronically underfunded despite it being such an important service.

"On top of that we are having to contend with a debilitating recruitment crisis which will be even worse unless the Government have a change of heart in relation to social care."

'We need to explode the myth that social care staff are low skilled'

He added that "we need to explode the myth that social care staff are low skilled – that’s not true. They are just lower paid and that’s not fair."

NHS nurses and doctors will be able to apply for a separate NHS visa which will be half the price and be subject to a fast-track process.

Suzie Bailey, director of Leadership and Organisational Development at The King’s Fund said: “While it’s positive that the government recognises the need for overseas workers to help plug the significant gaps in the NHS workforce, there is a disappointing lack of consideration given to social care.

"In the absence of supportive immigration policies, the social care sector would need to significantly improve care worker pay and conditions to attract more home-grown staff. That will require an immediate funding boost, a comprehensive plan for sustainable staffing, and for the Prime Minster to deliver on his commitment to 'fix social care once and for all'."

Under the new immigration policy all UK borders will be closed to non-skilled workers and all migrants will have to speak English. The skills threshold is being dropped from degree to A-level or equivalent.

In addition, people wanting to come to the UK must have a job offer with an ‘approved sponsor’ with a salary of at least £25,600 although the government has offered concessions of £20,480 for sectors where there are skills shortages such as nursing.

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