CEO on Government visa decision

Mark Adams, CEO of Community Integrated Care – one of the UK’s largest social care charities, says: “At a time when the UK is experiencing a 122,000 shortage in its social care workforce, we should be looking at any opportunities to recruit people with the necessary skills, experience and passion to enrich the UK social care sector. The government’s decision to restrict access to visa entitlements based on salary and educational attainment compounds the enormous workforce shortages that currently exist and may worsen after Brexit.

However, clearly the biggest opportunity to build the workforce capacity that the care sector desperately needs is by recruiting from within this country. This simply will not be possible so long as social care remains, largely, a minimum wage sector due to the restricted funding that care providers receive.

There is no other minimum wage sector where workers have such significant responsibility and accountability. We need to recognise that most people would feel unsuited to work in care, yet we treat it as though it is the most basic job in society. I would implore the government to recognise this fact and take steps to provide the fair funding that is needed.

We need to open the sector up to many more people who have the compassion, values and unique personal qualities to make a difference in care. This is not just about filling vacancies but ensuring that we have the right people on hand to provide the life-changing support that millions of people depend upon.”