Statement from MHA Chief Executive on Government's announcement for overseas care workers and their dependents
The Government’s intention, to prevent migrant care staff from coming to the UK from bringing their dependents 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.