iCG Chair on ITV News responds to drop in health and social care visas granted

Significant drop in health and social care visas granted in past year

Thur 22 Aug 10.29pm - The latest Home Office figures show the number of NHS and social care visas granted in the year to June 2024 was down 26% on the previous year.

Watch the article here:

https://www.itv.com/watch/news/significant-drop-in-health-and-social-care-visas-granted-in-past-year/ljxwhhl?s=09

Call on Govt to tackle care workforce shortage

The Independent Care Group is calling on the Government to urgently bring forward its workforce plan for the sector amidst fears of a dire shortage of staff.

Immigration figures released today show an 80% drop in the number of people seeking to come to the UK to work in the NHS or social care.

Care providers fear that will hit the care of older, vulnerable and disabled aduilts as there is already a shortage of some 131,000 workers in the sector.

Mike Padgham, Chair of the ICG, said: “A fall in the number of overseas staff is the last thing social care needs at the moment, as we are struggling to fill shifts as it is. The last government’s brutal measures are working and the lifeline of overseas staff to help staff homecare and care and nursing homes has been cut.

“The question is, what do we do now? As we warned at the time, no serious measures have been put in place to replace those overseas workers who have played such a key role in helping us to keep delivering care.

“We desperately need to see the new Government’s promised care workforce strategy and with it some funding measures that will help us to properly reward care workers and enable us to recruit at home, otherwise we will be in dire straits.

“Skills for Care reports that there are 131,000 vacancies in social care – with the availability of overseas staff dwindling, we are going to be very, very short.

“And as we approach winter, when staffing levels in health and social care are always placed under the greatest demand, will we be able to cope?

“With 1.6m people unable to get the care they need and demand for care growing every day, we are struggling to maintain services.”

Figures suggest social care will need to recruit an extra 540,000 care workers to cope with rising demand, by 2040.

A Government U-turn on social care?

iCG are co-signatories, along with many major care groups, of a letter to the Secretary of State for Health. The letter sent is copied below:

For the concern of: Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The last few days have raised alarm bells for those working in adult social care and those drawing on care and support services. Warm words about the economic importance of adult social care and the commitment to identify a cross-party solution to this fundamental public service have rung hollow in light of decisions announced around funding and reform.

The decision to not take forward the introduction of the social care cap is a complete U turn on the commitments issued prior to the election. When pressed on social care the Secretary of State made clear that he would not ‘unpick’ the introduction of the cap until there was a feasible alternative. Yet within days, that is exactly what has happened. In a similar vein, the previous government had committed to fund the reform of the social care workforce through the establishment of more substantive funding for training and development. Yet this funding, alongside a number of other workforce reforms, has been sucked into the black hole.

Clearly, we are operating in a hugely challenging economic market. However, choosing not to progress both funding and workforce reform is a bitter pill for social care in a climate where other public services and their workforces are finally having their contribution recognised.

Voices from across the sector have come together to make clear a number of key points:

We stand ready to work with the new government, but we need assurances about the timeframes and support needed to move to a National Care Service and the introduction of a Fair Pay Agreement for care workers.

If the government wants cross party commitments to social care, then it must lead by example. This means properly consulting and communicating with the sector, and those who rely on social care, about the value and importance of what has been agreed in the past, as well as what might come in the future.

Significant delays by the previous government left social care vulnerable to cuts because programmes were not nailed down. We urge this government not to continue that pattern. Future commitments must be steeped in an understanding of the importance of valuing and respecting those whose everyday lives depend on social care delivery and employment. For millions of people, social care has the power to transform everyday life. Cutting these vital programmes has not only a material impact on all of their lives, but the lives of loved ones, friends and families.

Social care contributes to local and national economies. It also has the power to contribute to global solutions to care needs of generations across the world. Whether addressing skills and education, innovation and development, infrastructure and industrial strategy the government would do well to think social care first. It matters to us all.

Social care has been recognised as a key contributor to a great number of government priorities. Without high quality social care it will be impossible to fix the broken NHS. Without high quality social care it will be impossible to sustain economic growth. Without high quality social care it will be impossible to lift-up our communities and the people that live in them.

We now need to see positive action on social care. There is time, political capital, and the expertise of a united social care sector to make this happen. We urge the government to change course and we stand ready to help you transform social care for the millions who work in it and most vitally, rely upon it.

Yours sincerely,