Immigration: A Perfect Storm for the Adult Social Care Sector

Care England, the largest representative body for independent providers of adult social care, has written to the Home Secretary asking her to reconsider future immigration plans.

Professor Martin Green, Chief Executive of Care England, says:

“Our letter to the Home Secretary stresses that her Department’s plans when combined with the rejection of the MACs Shortage Occupation List recommendations have the potential to create a perfect storm. The adult social care sector is already afflicted by a workforce crisis as a result of COVID-19. These plans have the potential to further exacerbate the pressures upon the sector”.

Care England wrote as a response to the Government’s rejection of the Migration Advisory Committee’s (MACs) Shortage Occupation List (SOL) recommendations last week. The letter also takes issue with the planned ‘Points Based’ immigration system which does not provide sufficient routes for adult social care workers to enter the United Kingdom.

Care England has entered a call with other key sectoral bodies urging the Government to pay sufficient dues to the adverse impact which changes to the immigration system will have (www.ippr.org)

Professor Green continues:

“Care England will continue to campaign on behalf of the sector to ensure the creation of an immigration system which accommodates the sector’s needs. The Government’s policy actions in relation to immigration will likely be a litmus test of the extent to which it values the sector, a test which it is currently failing”.