StellarCare NW LTD is a domiciliary care company based in the Northwest of England, regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in February 2020. Just a month later, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, plunging the nation into an unprecedented lockdown—the first of its kind in the UK since 1918. Opening a care agency during such turbulent times was immensely challenging, yet it offered a unique advantage: StellarCare NW navigated these uncharted waters with fresh eyes and no preconceived expectations.
Reflecting on the Pandemic
Two years later, I’m proud to say that we emerged from the pandemic relatively unscathed, providing the best care possible during these unprecedented times. Here are some of the main challenges we faced, which I’m sure many others in the sector will recognize:
- Staff Sickness: The unpredictability of staff availability was our biggest disruption. It was difficult to accept new clients, fearing we wouldn’t have the staff to provide care.
- Staff Recruitment: With COVID-19 outbreaks among our team, we needed enough staff to cover care calls. During 2020/2021, recruitment surged by 70%, driven by the furlough scheme and a genuine desire from people to support their communities. However, by 2022, many returned to their previous jobs, leaving significant vacancies in the care sector. Additionally, Brexit led to the departure of many European workers, exacerbating the shortage.
- Increased Staff Pressures: The rapid turnover of staff placed additional pressure on our loyal employees to cover for those who were sick or had left, heightening the risk of burnout and long-term sickness.
- Increased Demand for Care: The pandemic caused a surge in clients needing home care as the NHS sought to discharge non-critical patients, creating a bottleneck across all healthcare settings in the UK.
- Uncertainty: The rapidly changing Health & Social Care landscape, coupled with inconsistent information, made forward planning extremely difficult, posing a significant challenge for any business owner.
Why We Applied for a Sponsor Licence
Following the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union and the effects of Brexit, all companies wishing to employ skilled workers from outside the UK need a sponsor licence to comply with the law. In September 2021, StellarCare NW decided to apply for a sponsor licence from the Home Office, allowing us to employ migrant workers for three years on a skilled worker visa. The application process took eight weeks, and by December, our first migrant worker joined the StellarCare NW team. Since January 2022, we have employed 15 migrant workers and increased our care hours from 400 to 2,000 per week, helping to meet the growing demand for home care in our community.
Across England, the number of unfilled jobs has been rising steadily—from 6% in April to over 10% by September 2022. Despite increased government funding and investment, the vacancies continue to grow. It’s no surprise that there has been a significant increase in applications to the Home Office from the care sector. According to recent government figures, skilled work, which accounts for 60% of work-related visas granted, saw a 19% increase in visa numbers in 2021. The new Skilled Worker routes introduced in late 2020 (Skilled Worker, Skilled Worker Health and Care, and Intra-company Transfer) accounted for 55,053, or 32%, of the total work-related visas granted. Recognizing the need for migrant workers to fill vacancies in the health and social care sector, the Government has developed a roadmap until 2024, detailing how they plan to streamline the application process.
The Benefits and Challenges of Recruiting Migrant Workers
Recruiting migrant workers has been positive for our staffing levels, but it hasn’t come without challenges. Most of our employees at StellarCare NW are from India, and while they have been studying in the UK for some time, their awareness of British values and culture has posed some issues. For example, there was an assumption that they would know how to make a cup of tea or prepare a breakfast of porridge and toast, but the reality was different. Routines and cultural norms were unfamiliar to them, and the approach to client care didn’t always meet the expectations of our clients.
The main challenge, however, has been male carers providing personal care to older women in society. The expectation that only white female care staff will tend to these needs still exists, even though the care workforce is becoming increasingly diverse and multicultural. It is crucial for care companies to integrate migrant workers into the community and work towards changing such expectations, although this will not happen overnight.
Summary
The fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated an already fragile health and social care sector. Demand for home care is at an all-time high, while recruitment is at an all-time low. One viable solution to address the staffing shortage is to employ migrant workers. The government is making the sponsor licence application process easier, encouraging care companies like StellarCare NW to apply and solve their staffing issues. While employing migrant workers can help increase staffing levels, companies must adapt their training and induction processes to ensure that British values and culture are maintained. Additionally, long-term strategies must be implemented to shift perceptions about the role of male carers in domiciliary care.
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