With increases in international recruitment, there has been unacceptable increases in unethical practices and the exploitation of international recruits in the adult social care sector. This has led to a significant number of dedicated adult social care workers who have been displaced from their original employer and potentially left without work, through no fault of their own.
£16m has been provided to regional partnerships this financial year (25/26) to support, prevent and respond to unethical international recruitment practices in the sector. This will include support for international recruits to understand their employment rights and to support individuals to switch employers and remain working in the care sector when they have been impacted by their sponsor’s license being revoked.
The Home Office recently announced the first steps with new rules to prioritise recruiting care workers in the UK, The new rules will not apply to international workers who are already being sponsored as a care worker (SOC 6135) or senior care worker (SOC 6136) or where providers are seeking to sponsor someone switching from another immigration route who has already been working for them for at least three months. This means providers can continue to renew sponsorship of their existing care workers in the normal way and care workers can continue to switch sponsors.
See below for more information
new rules to prioritise care workers
For further detail contact sheryl.brand@southlondonpartnership.co.uk