Asylum seekers can work in care homes
Kathy Jenkins - 20th January 2022
Asylum seekers can work in care homes after Priti Patel rule change
Common Weal’s position is that all asylum seekers should be able to work from the moment they arrive in the UK. Therefore, our first response to this announced change is that anything which allows at least some asylum seekers to work has to be welcomed – but it is a cautious welcome.
First, the announcement says that unlike other ‘shortage occupations’ care workers ‘do not need specialist training’. Although this is sadly true in terms of getting a job in care, it is not true in terms of doing the job. Caring is skilled work looking after the most vulnerable in our society; it needs relationship building skills and can include some medical procedures. Common Weal, the trade unions and many others are fighting for better training and education for care workers. If asylum seekers are recruited, we hope this will be put in place for them.
Second, there are a range of health and safety risks for social care workers (see https://commonweal.scot/policies/health-safety-and-welfare-of-the-social-care-workforce/ ). These include exposure to biological and chemical hazards, obviously exacerbated by Covid19 with the associated risk due to inadequate personal protective equipment; and potential exposure to aggression or even violence. Further risk results from work related stress caused in large part by precarious contracts, uncertain hours, lack of good support and supervision and often not having enough time to spend with those for whom the worker is caring. It will be crucial that good care be taken of the health, safety and welfare of a potentially vulnerable group of workers.
This change for asylum seekers follows the Government’s decision to include social care workers in the health and care visa and shortage occupation list. This should mean that non UK workers could potentially immigrate to work in social care in the UK. However, it is unlikely many will be able to do so as the minimum salary allowed is £20,480 per year, more than most domestic social care workers earn. The best solution to the shortage of social care workers would be to offer this level of pay, together with improved working conditions, to domestic workers including asylum seekers and to those from overseas.