Stone King Solicitor writes article for The Carer on supporting sponsored workers

Senior Immigration Lawyer Sarah Keeley has authored a piece for The Carer on supporting sponsored care workers and limiting the risk of exploitation.

Highlighting that the care sector sponsors the majority of all overseas workers in the UK, the piece follows Home Office commitments to reduce exploitation in the sector by increasing the regulatory oversight of skilled worker sponsorship by care operators. 

This also comes in the context of the Home Office’s statement earlier this week on  immigration reforms relating to sponsored care workers.

Sarah wrote about employer obligations, key considerations in complying with sponsorship license requirements, and the importance of additional support to mitigate the risk of exploitation.

The piece also highlighted that Health and Care Visas are tied to a specific employer, a fact that Sarah said is not well understood or followed.

“As the Health and Care Visa is tied to a specific employer, workers need to seek new sponsorship and apply for a new visa if they want to leave their sponsor and change employer.

“This can leave sponsored workers working illegally for other employers if they are unable to work enough hours with their sponsor. It is this non-compliance that the Home Office is seeking to crack down on.”

Concluding with a look at the recent case of Prestwick Care Ltd as a cautionary tale, the piece provides a broad overview of the range of factors care operators should understand and prioritise in order to support overseas workers in the UK and comply with the evolving regulatory landscape.

Read the full article here.