Ministers broke the care system - now their visa crackdown punishes the workers

12 May 2025, 07:01

The Labour government’s visa crackdown punishes care workers - and deepens a crisis of its own making.

At Kingsway Care, we understand the need to reduce Health Worker visas—but the necessity to employ from overseas stems from a lack of domestic candidates.

The social and private care sector has suffered decades of neglect and underfunding, leaving it unable to gain the respect it deserves from government. This disregard has shaped a negative narrative that discourages the domestic workforce from pursuing careers in care. Consequently, overseas recruitment has become essential to address the huge staffing void and sustain the support many UK care providers offer.

However, new legislation now forces providers to rely solely on the existing pool of displaced workers already in the UK, while blocking further overseas recruitment. The idea that this group alone can meet the sector’s needs is deeply flawed. Many were brought to the UK by rogue providers under a system with little oversight, resulting in a workforce that doesn’t always meet the standards that reputable providers require.

Expecting quality care providers to hire unsuitable candidates is scandalous. Despite detailed justification for needing new overseas staff, the Home Office continues to reject applications. Meanwhile, our sector must also contend with ENIC increases, VAT changes, inflation, new training mandates, and the constant challenge of demonstrating why more staff are needed to deliver high-quality care to vulnerable individuals.

The recruitment void persists. Without an effective, realistic solution, the most vulnerable in society will suffer the consequences of a broken system they did not create. Urgent, evidence-based reforms are needed - starting with a reassessment of overseas recruitment policies, meaningful funding, and genuine recognition of the value care work brings.

Years of government neglect have created a sector perceived as unskilled and undesirable. Poor pay and conditions, perpetuated by local authorities and central government, have deterred many from entering the field. This has fed the false narrative that care work is secondary to the NHS - when in truth, the NHS depends heavily on a functioning care sector. As hospitals struggle, it is skilled community carers who prevent readmissions and support clients safely at home.

Today’s announcements are ill-considered and reckless. Comments by Yvette Cooper and Chris Philp are outrageous and disrespectful to a sector that gives so much. These policies are unsustainable and ignore their long-term consequences.

The previous government allowed immigration numbers to rise unchecked. Now, instead of accepting accountability, they seek drastic reductions “whatever the cost.” Increasing the domestic workforce is a valid goal -but it cannot happen without changing the narrative, investing in training, and restoring pride in care work. The historical failure to value this sector has left lasting damage.

We cannot allow government policy to dictate whom we employ. Our overseas workers are exceptional - hardworking, compassionate, and skilled. The real issue lies not with them, but with the influx of displaced individuals resulting from an unregulated visa system.

The idea that the sector “chose migration instead of training” is both lazy and false. It was the government that reached for mass migration as a short-term fix. In contrast, care providers have invested heavily in training and technology—often surpassing the NHS in digital innovation. Providers like Birdie and Nourish have enabled the sector to become highly efficient and responsive. We’ve done this without public investment, because we had no choice.

Care providers didn’t opt for overseas workers out of convenience, but out of necessity - caused by governmental failure. We are not lagging in innovation. We are leading it.

To suggest that millions of working-age people on benefits could simply be deployed into care work is overly simplistic. Many do not want to work—and certainly not in a profession that demands dedication, accountability, and resilience. To be blunt, we need motivated professionals, not individuals forced into roles they are unfit or unwilling to do.

Claiming that carers can be trained in two weeks grossly underestimates the responsibility and complexity of the role. That comment, like others made today, shows a profound lack of understanding.

And to blame “mass low-skilled migration” for social fragmentation is disingenuous. It is poor policy and political short-termism that have eroded cohesion and trust.

Care providers remain committed to delivering dignified, compassionate, and professional care - but we cannot do it alone. We urge the government to listen to those on the frontlines, and to work with us in implementing practical, long-term strategies that protect both our workforce and the people who rely on us every day.

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Vicky Haines is Managing Director of Kingsway Care

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