Latest news with #NationalCareAssociation
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Care home firm's 'dismay' at visa changes
A crackdown on visas for lower-skilled workers has caused "dismay" and "major frustration" for one care home group. Samantha Woosnam, the human resources director for Shropshire's Coverage Care Services, said: "Without this pool of migrant workers I can't see how we are going to be able to maintain our workforce to the levels that we require." And Joyce Pinfield from Bromsgrove, vice chair of the National Care Association, described the move as "yet another blow to the care sector". The government said it would be requiring firms to hire British nationals or extend visas of overseas workers already in the country. Ms Woosnam said her reaction to the news was "dismay, major frustration". She said the industry cared for "the most vulnerable people in our communities and we need skilled people to do this". But she believed the change in the rules would mean "the tools are being removed to enable us to do this properly". Her company employs staff from India, Africa and the Philippines who she said played "a vital part in replacing those hard-to-recruit positions, particularly night-workers". In the past the industry had difficulties attracting British people, she said, and these problems had not gone away. "We had a reduction in the number of young people wanting to come and have a career in care and we had an ageing workforce," she said. Ms Pinfield said: "We just seem to fail to get (British) people in." She said paying more was "very difficult". "Unfortunately, if you are reliant on the fees paid by local authorities, it is very difficult to pay more," she explained. The government plans are part of a wider push to reduce the amount of immigration into the UK. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the government expects these changes will "lead to a reduction of up to 50,000 fewer lower-skilled visas over the course of the next year". Ms Woosnam said: "It feels like we have to go back to the drawing board and re-look at our strategies but with really little to do that with." She added part of her dismay was because her company had helped overseas workers settle in Shropshire and that work was now in question. Ms Pinfield said the industry had been "So pleased when we were allowed to bring in care workers from overseas". But she said a lack of clarity meant many firms had "brought people in from abroad that didn't really have the jobs ready for them". She believed this had partly led to the government crackdown. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Care worker recruitment from abroad to end, Cooper says Care providers say overseas worker crackdown 'short-sighted' How many people come to work and study in the UK? Labour's immigration plans at a glance National Care Association Coverage Care Services Home Office
BBC News
13-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Shropshire care home firm 'dismay' over planned visa changes
A crackdown on visas for lower-skilled workers has caused "dismay" and "major frustration" for one care home Woosnam, the human resources director for Shropshire's Coverage Care Services, said: "Without this pool of migrant workers I can't see how we are going to be able to maintain our workforce to the levels that we require."And Joyce Pinfield from Bromsgrove, vice chair of the National Care Association, described the move as "yet another blow to the care sector".The government said it would be requiring firms to hire British nationals or extend visas of overseas workers already in the country. Ms Woosnam said her reaction to the news was "dismay, major frustration".She said the industry cared for "the most vulnerable people in our communities and we need skilled people to do this". But she believed the change in the rules would mean "the tools are being removed to enable us to do this properly". Her company employs staff from India, Africa and the Philippines who she said played "a vital part in replacing those hard-to-recruit positions, particularly night-workers".In the past the industry had difficulties attracting British people, she said, and these problems had not gone away. "We had a reduction in the number of young people wanting to come and have a career in care and we had an ageing workforce," she said. Ms Pinfield said: "We just seem to fail to get (British) people in."She said paying more was "very difficult". "Unfortunately, if you are reliant on the fees paid by local authorities, it is very difficult to pay more," she explained. 'Back to drawing board' The government plans are part of a wider push to reduce the amount of immigration into the Secretary Yvette Cooper said the government expects these changes will "lead to a reduction of up to 50,000 fewer lower-skilled visas over the course of the next year".Ms Woosnam said: "It feels like we have to go back to the drawing board and re-look at our strategies but with really little to do that with."She added part of her dismay was because her company had helped overseas workers settle in Shropshire and that work was now in Pinfield said the industry had been "So pleased when we were allowed to bring in care workers from overseas".But she said a lack of clarity meant many firms had "brought people in from abroad that didn't really have the jobs ready for them".She believed this had partly led to the government crackdown. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
The Guardian
20-03-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Social care sector faces collapse as NICs and wage rises loom, providers warn
The adult social care sector could collapse 'in a matter of months' when the government's rise in national insurance contributions (NICs) and the national living wage (NLW) comes in from April, providers have warned. Thousands of elderly and vulnerable adults rely on social care services that are often supplied on behalf of local authorities by independent providers. However, without sufficient extra funding, smaller operators say they will be unable to cope with the increase. The National Care Association, which represents more than 1,000 small and medium-sized care providers, is warning of a 'seismic change' to the sector, and the likelihood of service closures. Nadra Ahmed, the NCA's executive co-chair, told the Guardian: 'People may close their services, they may sell up to another provider, they may reduce the number of packages they take. 'I suspect that in about six months, we'll start to see a seismic change.' One company in Lancashire providing daily care for 450-500 households said it may have to fold and leave its area's local authority to take on its workload because it cannot afford the NIC rises. 'Our accountants are looking to see how long we can hold on for before we have to say 'enough's enough', and give notice to the local authorities,' said Leanne Reeder from Homecare Services, on the Guardian's Politics Weekly UK podcast. 'There's only so long you can pay the wages if you're not getting the funding. 'The social care sector will break and will maybe sustain for a matter of months before people close down.' Care providers are just one example of a service where local authorities rely on private contractors who may need to scale back their operations due to the NICs increase. This week, private transport providers who play a vital role in getting children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) to and from school indicated they may have to cancel some services because of increased costs. Without urgent government intervention, thousands of families fear their children will be left stranded at home, unable to access their education. The changes to both the amount employers contribute towards national insurance payments and the planned uplift to the living wage was announced by the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, in the budget last October. It will see NICs increase by 1.2%, and the NLW go up by 6.7%, from £11.44 to £12.21 an hour. Providers warn the effect of these government measures will be to further exacerbate 'bed-blocking' in NHS hospitals, with patients unable to be discharged without adequate care packages in place. On Wednesday afternoon, MPs voted against exempting private hospices, care providers and independent pharmacists and specialist transport services from the national insurance increase. Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, called for the government to 'cancel its damaging tax hike'. He told the Guardian: 'This is incredibly worrying for people who need care, and for family carers who inevitably end up filling the gaps. 'There are already millions of people missing out on the care they need, so the threat of providers closing their doors is the last thing we need. 'Labour's jobs tax will be a disaster for social care and the NHS, especially with thousands of people already stuck in hospital beds because the care they need to leave isn't there.' A government spokesperson said: 'Taking the necessary choices to fix the foundations of the economy at the budget meant we could deliver an extra £26bn for health and social care. 'This government inherited a social care system in crisis. We have taken immediate action, including a £3.7bn funding boost, 7,800 new adaptations to help disabled people live independently in their own homes, and we are also introducing the first ever 'fair pay agreement' for care professionals.' Adult social care has faced severe challenges in recent years, with a lack of funding from local authorities, an increase in demand, and major recruitment and staff retention issues. In September 2023, the number of vacancies in the care sector was put at an estimated 8.4%, equating to roughly 131,000 jobs. In January this year, the government announced a taskforce that would develop plans for a new national care service, to be led by the cross-bench peer Louise Casey. However, the timeline for this plan has been criticised – with interim findings to be published in 2026, but the final report is not expected until 2028.
Sky News
25-02-2025
- Health
- Sky News
Care providers warn system is 'at breaking point'
Care providers have warned the government that the UK social care system is "at breaking point" as it struggles with rising demand and high costs. It comes as thousands of care and support providers, and some of those who rely on the service, plan to stage a demonstration in central London to urge the government to give more support to the ailing sector. The planned rise in National Insurance contributions for employers combined with the increase in the national minimum wage, set to come into effect in April, could lead to some providers going out of business, according to Providers Unite, a coalition of social care organisations campaigning for long-awaited social care reform. Research by the independent think tank The Nuffield Trust estimates that the rises, announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves last October, could cost the sector an extra £2.8bn a year. The government has already announced an additional £600m to help support the social care sector. But the chair of the National Care Association, Nadra Ahmed, said the proposed increases will cancel out that government support. "It is inconceivable that politicians fail to understand that a lack of investment will impact heavily on both the NHS and local government," she said. "It is this lack of recognition or investment which has led to a watershed moment at a time when the need for our services continues to grow. The sector is at breaking point." Ms Ahmed said increased costs had not kept pace with funding levels and warned some care providers could end up bankrupt. Jane Jones, owner of Applewood Support, a homecare provider in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, said her costs will rise by and estimated £6,000 a month when the National Insurance rise comes into force. "I felt sick when I heard the chancellor announce the rise in NI," she told Sky News. "It's not feasible. I've had to make cuts in the office. We've got rid of two personnel because we just can't afford it. It's an attack on growth." The care sector employs nearly two million workers and supports more than 1.2 million people. Pensioners Shiela and Paul Banbury have been married for 59 years and rely on Applewood to care for 82-year-old Sheila at home after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2018. Paul, 77, says if they could not get home care Shelia would have to move into a care home. "It would be very difficult after such a long time together. We want to be able to stay together in our home." Most care providers receive a fixed price for care, set by local councils. That means that rises elsewhere in the system are difficult to manage. "We cannot increase our costs like the supermarkets can and are limited to what the government and councils can pay us," says Ms Jones. "So if they can't pay us the right amount of money, we're just going to go close our doors. And I think that's what's going to happen come April." Mike Padgham, chair of The Independent Care Group, urged the chancellor to review her budget measures and make care providers exempt from the National Insurance rise in the same way that the NHS is. "We have suffered for more than 30 years and enough is enough. People who rely on social care and those who deliver it deserve better," said Mr Padgham. The government has published plans to reform the social care system, aiming to establish a National Care Service designed to bring it closer to the NHS. Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, announced the formation of an independent commission, chaired by Baroness Louise Casey, to develop comprehensive proposals for organising and funding social care.
