Govt ending overseas care recruitment

[AInightingale]

This is going to make matters worse isn't it?

Apparently there are nearly 150K vacancies in the sector, and now Starmer has pledged to end reliance on recruitment from overseas.

I really don't know where this will end - higher care home costs, homes closing, massive shortage of domiciliary care workers, families being forced to plug an ever growing gap in provision.

I'm also uneasy about his suggestion that 'migrants already in the UK who have not found jobs' will be encouraged to apply for these posts. Because it's obvious that the overwhelming majority of these people are male, and the majority of very elderly people requiring care, particularly personal care in residential settings, are female. And I also know that Labour doesn't gaf about the desire for same-sex services and personal care provision, as they've made abundantly clear in recent years.

All worrying, in short.

I agree with you. There are certain nationalities who play a large role in this care in the area I live in and they are from the Philippines. They come as families and often husband and wife work in the sector. They speak good English as they learn at school. They are keen to improve their status and are for the most part kindly people who excel in this kind of work. I have no idea why the Gov would do this. Is this going to apply to the NHS as well as many are nurses there too!

I support this. It’s too short sighted to bring in people constantly to do these low paid jobs for a few years then end up having to support them with housing and benefits. Healthcare and education.
A lot of the carers coming from abroad are highly unsuited to the job too.
Would be cheaper for the country overall to pay more for those jobs than this shortsighted approach we have had for years.

We don't end up supporting these people. They earn, pay taxes and rent houses.

Private Equity firms have bought up care homes, charge extortionate fees to keep elderly people (just about) alive and employ cheap immigrants as "carers". It's farming of old and vulnerable people and needs to stop.

Starmer just keeps missing the point, and with a lot of things. Most people would like to see decent state-funded elderly care. They hate the profiteering linked to care homes. If he said that his govt planned big changes for how this is funded and staff recruited and trained with a view to long-term retention, people would support him, I think. But it just looks as if he is going after the legal migrants on work visas to bring the stats down.

This.

The overseas HCAs at Blackpool Victoria hospital are generally excellent. Take a real pride in their work.

If the country really wants to lower immigration then fine, but accept that it will come at a cost. We are going to have to pay people more to do these jobs which means increased taxes to pay for it.

Problem is, the NHS & Care Visa is so abused. People come in, lately a lot from South America and never take up their post. Favourite job being in hospitality.
It's just used as a way of getting in.

As big a problem, is no one follows it up. It needs a few visits to hotels by immigration, word would soon spread.

It's all very well for the people who self-fund. They'll pay more, but better that than no or worse care.
But what about people reliant on council funded care? It'll be slots meant to be fifteen minutes which end up as five. Carers who are unreliable, dishonest, incompetent or abusive. And bed blocking becoming a bigger problem because oldies have nowhere safe to go. Marvellous!

Not convinced that the general public is hugely bothered by kindly people from Africa or the Philippines coming here legally to look after Granny, because the wages and conditions are soooooo inviting that not enough suitable locals can be recruited.
But maybe I'm wrong.

If there's an issue with people being given visas for care work and not doing care work then how about tackling that?

@MysterOfwomanY mum's carers are private and mostly from abroad.

I don't know why govt won't do proper follow up on working visas. That would solve a lot of issues.

It's not going to be all right for self funders. It's a poor decision that will affect a sector that already struggles to recruit.

I'm baffled why Starmer chose to target this. Possibly it's to make a point when it all goes wrong.

Ok fair. It'll be less bad for self funders (same's true for my relative - carers often from abroad).

It is one of those things where you go, "Ok but, have you done an impact assessment?"

Apparently it's because one carer comes in but may bring many family members.
Saw it somewhere today, maybe Sky News site.

I was shouting at radio 4 this morning about how not everyone wants to do care work, or more importantly is cut out for it!
I would not want my relative cared for by someone who is not suited to doing intimate care for people and has been forced to be there by the job centre!