Latest news with #SaintCecilia'sCareGroup
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Immigration plans a 'devastating blow'
A care home owner has said the government's proposed changes to immigration rules were a "devastating blow" for the sector. The Prime Minister's proposals to cut immigration include scrapping a visa scheme, set up by Boris Johnson's Conservative government, that allowed firms to hire health and social care workers from overseas. Mike Padgham, managing director at Saint Cecilia's Care Group in Scarborough, said by 2040 the sector would need 500,000 more workers and asked where they would be coming from. Sir Keir Starmer said the plans, which tackle legal migration to the UK, would ensure a "selective" and "fair" system, where "we decide who comes to this country". "It is another devastating blow that this government has put upon us," Mr Padgham said. As part of the new system, firms will be required to hire British nationals or extend the visas of overseas workers already in the country. Home Office figures estimate this change will cut the number of workers coming to the UK by between 7,000 and 8,000 a year. Mr Padgham has previously said without overseas staff his firm could not continue and he does not believe the change in rules will help recruit British nationals. "The key thing is we want to recruit people from England, we are doing everything we can to recruit local people," he said. "But sadly the pay is not great, we want people to come in but they don't want the work and we want people in social care who want to work in it, not forced to work in it." Dan Archer, who runs the Sheffield home care company Visiting Angels, said he had taken a different route, though he said he understood the issues facing many providers. "There's been a dependency for the last few years on overseas workers," he said. "I took the decision that if we started from a position of paying better, using proper contracts, then we would find it easier to find UK workers." He said the firm now had 1,600 staff. "The solution works," he said, but added that the challenge was how it was funded. PM promises migration drop as he unveils plans for 'tightened' visa rules Labour's immigration plans at a glance Cimma Menone is from Nigeria and has been sponsored as a care worker for the past three years in Scarborough. She said the announcement from the government made her feel unwelcome. "When you feel unsafe, when you begin to feel not supported by the government, when you are here to contribute to the healthcare sector, then I don't think it's a welcoming policy," she said. The proposed changes come after the government tightened the rules restricting the ability of workers to bring their loved ones to the UK. The time immigrants will have to live in the UK before they can apply for the right to stay indefinitely will be doubled - to 10 years - under the proposals. Isabel Santos, deputy manager at St Cecilia's, said these changes meant homes would become dependent on agency staff, which she said was bad because it impacted on "continuity of care" for residents. "Overseas staff want to learn and progress their careers," she said. "With these rules maybe people will go to other countries where they feel more supported." Jordan Stapleton, from the union Unison, said the entire care system was "in trouble" as providers were dependent on contracts with councils that had been dealing with years of cuts. "If care providers can't get the guaranteed level of funding from the council then they can't pass on that wage and security to the worker," he said. The government said its plans for fair pay in social care would boost recruitment in the sector. The Prime Minister said the government immigration proposals would create "a system that is controlled, selective and fair and a clean break from the past" that would "ensure settlement in this country is a privilege that must be earned, not a right". Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. PM promises migration drop as he unveils plans for 'tightened' visa rules The carers crossing the globe to fill UK shortage Labour's immigration plans at a glance
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Immigration plans a 'devastating blow'
A care home owner has said the government's proposed changes to immigration rules were a "devastating blow" for the sector. The Prime Minister's proposals to cut immigration include scrapping a visa scheme, set up by Boris Johnson's Conservative government, that allowed firms to hire health and social care workers from overseas. Mike Padgham, managing director at Saint Cecilia's Care Group in Scarborough, said by 2040 the sector would need 500,000 more workers and asked where they would be coming from. Sir Keir Starmer said the plans, which tackle legal migration to the UK, would ensure a "selective" and "fair" system, where "we decide who comes to this country". "It is another devastating blow that this government has put upon us," Mr Padgham said. As part of the new system, firms will be required to hire British nationals or extend the visas of overseas workers already in the country. Home Office figures estimate this change will cut the number of workers coming to the UK by between 7,000 and 8,000 a year. Mr Padgham has previously said without overseas staff his firm could not continue and he does not believe the change in rules will help recruit British nationals. "The key thing is we want to recruit people from England, we are doing everything we can to recruit local people," he said. "But sadly the pay is not great, we want people to come in but they don't want the work and we want people in social care who want to work in it, not forced to work in it." Dan Archer, who runs the Sheffield home care company Visiting Angels, said he had taken a different route, though he said he understood the issues facing many providers. "There's been a dependency for the last few years on overseas workers," he said. "I took the decision that if we started from a position of paying better, using proper contracts, then we would find it easier to find UK workers." He said the firm now had 1,600 staff. "The solution works," he said, but added that the challenge was how it was funded. PM promises migration drop as he unveils plans for 'tightened' visa rules Labour's immigration plans at a glance Cimma Menone is from Nigeria and has been sponsored as a care worker for the past three years in Scarborough. She said the announcement from the government made her feel unwelcome. "When you feel unsafe, when you begin to feel not supported by the government, when you are here to contribute to the healthcare sector, then I don't think it's a welcoming policy," she said. The proposed changes come after the government tightened the rules restricting the ability of workers to bring their loved ones to the UK. The time immigrants will have to live in the UK before they can apply for the right to stay indefinitely will be doubled - to 10 years - under the proposals. Isabel Santos, deputy manager at St Cecilia's, said these changes meant homes would become dependent on agency staff, which she said was bad because it impacted on "continuity of care" for residents. "Overseas staff want to learn and progress their careers," she said. "With these rules maybe people will go to other countries where they feel more supported." Jordan Stapleton, from the union Unison, said the entire care system was "in trouble" as providers were dependent on contracts with councils that had been dealing with years of cuts. "If care providers can't get the guaranteed level of funding from the council then they can't pass on that wage and security to the worker," he said. The government said its plans for fair pay in social care would boost recruitment in the sector. The Prime Minister said the government immigration proposals would create "a system that is controlled, selective and fair and a clean break from the past" that would "ensure settlement in this country is a privilege that must be earned, not a right". Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. PM promises migration drop as he unveils plans for 'tightened' visa rules The carers crossing the globe to fill UK shortage Labour's immigration plans at a glance
BBC News
06-03-2025
- General
- BBC News
The Scarborough care workers crossing the globe to fill UK shortage
In 2022, Evans Sarbeng left his home country for the first time and landed in the 29-year-old nurse remembers the instant chill when he stepped off the plane in Manchester, after being used to 30C temperatures in in three or four cardigans, Evans headed straight for the coast to start work at Saint Cecilia's nursing home in is one of 45 overseas workers at the home, who obtained a skilled worker visa to address the huge staff shortage in social care. Mike Padgham, managing director at Saint Cecilia's Care Group, says overseas workers like Evans are a "lifeline" when it comes to running a nursing home, making up 20% of the workforce."There's about 131,000 social care vacancies in England and without our overseas staff, we couldn't continue," he says."They bring vibrancy, good practice, work well with the residents and are paid exactly the same as local staff." Saint Cecilia's posted online advertisements offering to help provide accommodation and contribute towards the cost of travel to the opportunity caught the eye of Evans in September 2022 and after a video interview, he arrived two months later."My first time travelling out of my country was coming to the UK," Evans says. "I've enjoyed being here, especially North Yorkshire where I've spent almost two-and-a-half years."He credits the friendly people and work environment for his smooth transition."The work is good, nursing is a universal programme," Evans adds."There's a few bits that are different from what I used to know, with a couple of different policies and practices, but it is generally the same." Immigration explained: Migrants, refugees, and visas defined Apart from adjusting to the cold weather, Evans discovered a whole new cuisine, including the delicacy of a Yorkshire pudding wrap."I've tried a couple of English dishes. I do better than my friends because they are still used to eating Ghanaian food," he says."Fish and chips were the first thing I ever tried."I didn't know there was something like fish and chips until I came to the UK but I would say it's good!"Evans is living in Scarborough with his wife and has joined a football does not currently have long-term plans but adds he will stay in Yorkshire as long as it continues to treat him well. Sirisha Nallamothu came to work at the nursing home in 2023, first as a carer and now as a 42-year-old decided to move her family from India to the UK, where she hopes to settle long-term."I feel very proud to be here," Sirisha says. "We have a lot of care homes and nursing homes in India, where we are heavily populated but here, there is a lack of staff."I decided to move so I can help fulfil the need for nurses."The opportunity is also welcome for her two sons, aged eight and 16, who are thriving at the local the nature and food Scarborough has to offer, Sirisha considers the cost of living the biggest challenge."It is very difficult to maintain the family, the rent has gone up and it's difficult to balance," she adds."Council tax and groceries have gone up, everything is very expensive."Saint Cecilia's chief Mike says one of the downsides of overseas work is carers could no longer bring loved ones with them after a government policy change in March 2024, although nurses still could. "A study estimates we will need 540,000 more social care staff by 2040 to cope with rising demand," he says."How will we fill those posts without attracting overseas staff?" Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
