Last Updated on February 2, 2024

Leading social care sector voices have issued their response to Government's latest plans to overhaul the UK’s legal migration system.

The latest measures announced by the Home Secretary include:

• Reforms that will restrict care workers from bringing dependants and require care providers to register with the Care Quality Commission if they are sponsoring migrants, which will come into force on 11 March.
• The laying of Immigration Rules, which will include the removal of the 20% going rate discount for occupations on the Shortage Occupation List on 14 March.
• A new increase to the minimum salary required for those arriving on the Skilled Worker visa, from £26,200 to £38,700, on 4 April.
• Increasing the minimum income requirement threshold in stages for family visas, starting at £29,000 from 11 April.

According to Government, the latest measures aim to tackle the escalating migration rates, address the Health and Care visa pathway, where individuals have sought care worker positions that either do not exist or offer salaries well below the mandated threshold for migrant workers on this route, and safeguard British labour.

Announcing the latest measures, Home Secretary, James Cleverly, said, 'I’ve been clear that migration is too high and we must get back to sustainable levels. Last year I set out robust measures to reduce the numbers coming into our country – tightening the rules on care workers, skilled workers, and making sure that people can support their family members that they bring over.

'It is a firm approach, but a fair one, and gives those affected time to prepare whilst ensuring that migration comes down. The British people want to see action, not words. We are delivering the change we promised and which they expect, lifting pressure on public services and protecting British workers with the utmost urgency.'

In support of the Home Secretary, Helen Whately, Minister of State for Social Care, said, 'We’re grateful to overseas care workers but I’m clear that immigration is not the long-term answer to our social care needs. That’s why alongside tightening visa rules we’re reforming social care careers to boost our homegrown care workforce.

'We have launched the first ever national career path for care workers and a new care qualification is on the way. These reforms, together with international recruitment under the new rules, will build on the progress made over the last year – of lower staff turnover, fewer vacancies and more people working in social care.'

In response to the new changes, particularly in relation to the removal of the right for international care workers and senior care workers to bring dependents to England, Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive at Care England, said, ‘If this new policy to stop social care workers from bringing dependents to the UK is the best way to streamline how we recruit overseas staff, why has the same set of measures not been applied to the NHS?

‘Yet again, we see the Government singling out social care for negative treatment, whilst at the same time, talking endlessly about integration. The Department for Health and Social Care needs to fight for social care in the same way it fights for the NHS because we are not only neglected but we are constantly treated differently and detrimentally to the NHS.’

In addition, Sam Monaghan, Chief Executive at Methodist Homes (MHA), said, 'The Government’s intention, to prevent migrant care staff from coming to the UK from bringing their dependants from mid-March 2024, will place significant and lasting pressure on social care as it loses another avenue of recruitment.

'There is wide consensus across the sector that more reassurance is needed from the Government on its long-term strategy to tackle staffing issues. With 150,000 vacancies to fill, we desperately need to see evidence of this before policy changes are introduced.

'Last year alone, MHA welcomed 300 talented colleagues from overseas, who all play a vital role across our services. Without the option to bring their children with them, many professional carers will likely make the choice not to come in future. If the sector loses even a handful of potential new recruits like this, we’ll see increased strain on the availability of care for older people.

'The Government must demonstrate that it values social care as a profession. This is why we’re continuing to advocate for the creation of a Social Care Council, which would act as an independent body examining issues such as pay scales, working hours and recruitment on an ongoing basis. This is the level of commitment we need to build a sustainable and futureproof social care workforce.'

In other news, nursers and care workers are skipping meals to afford mandatory training, according to new research from FuturU.