Tuesday, August 04, 2015

Care workers needed for UK migrant worker research as employers look to Croatia and EU to fill staff shortages

The UKHCA reports that researchers at older people's charity Independent Age are carrying out research with the International Longevity Centre. researchers hope to identify the risk of future staff shortages in the care workforce and the role of migrant care workers in the UK in the light of current immigration policy. 

The report will make recommendations to the UK government and to the care sector about workforce strategies.

Independent Age are seeking care workers in London, who have come to the UK in the last 10 years, and who would be willing to take part in a 45 minute interview about their motivations to work in social care and their plans for the future. Interviews will be confidential and people will be given a thank you payment for taking part.

Do you know any staff who would be interested? If so, please get in touch with Sue Arthur of Independent Age for more details on 020 7605 4262 or sue.arthur@independentage.org. The researchers will be happy to send a copy of the research report to anyone who takes part. If any employers are particularly interested in, or want to find out more about this research, please contact Sue.

Work Permits for new non-EU care workers or Senior Carers have not been issued for many years prompting employers to look to Eastern European countries, such as Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia, for staff they cannot recruit from within the UK.

Whilst there is no 'official' shortage of care workers on the Home Office Shortage Occupations list, care providers have struggled to recruit staff for years. Following large scale recruitment in Poland, Romania and Bulgaria, some employers are recruiting Croatian care workers.

Unlike other EU members, Croatians need permission to work in the UK under the 7 year restriction imposed when Croatia joined the European Union on 1 July 2013. However, the Home Office do not consider the job of a care worker to be sufficiently skilled enough to qualify for a Work Permit under Tier 2 of the Points Based System.

Croatians can apply for a 'yellow card' permit and work full time whilst studying a for a vocational qualification (e.g Health and Social Care). For information and UK jobs in care and nursing, see the Croatians in the UK Facebook page.




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