Opinion: Coverage care expresses “dismay” over government visa crackdown impacting social care workforce
Coverage Care Services has expressed deep concern over the UK government’s recent visa restrictions on lower-skilled workers, warning that the changes are already having a damaging effect on the social care sector.
Samantha Woosnam, HR Director at Coverage Care, described the new immigration rules as a source of “dismay” and “major frustration” for the organisation, which operates 11 care homes across Shropshire. “This policy shift has left us with significant uncertainty about how we will continue to recruit and retain the staff we need to care for some of the most vulnerable people in our communities,” she said.
The government’s crackdown includes tighter restrictions on care workers bringing dependents and a higher salary threshold for visa eligibility. These changes, aimed at reducing net migration, are expected to cut tens of thousands of care worker visas over the next year.
Coverage Care, like many care providers across the UK, has relied on international recruitment to fill critical roles—particularly for night shifts and in rural areas where domestic recruitment has proven challenging. “We’ve worked hard to support overseas staff in settling into our communities,” Woosnam said. “Now, we’re being forced to rethink our entire workforce strategy with very few viable alternatives.”
The organisation has seen a decline in interest from younger UK workers entering the care profession, a trend that has only intensified in recent years. “We’re facing a perfect storm: an ageing population, a shrinking domestic workforce, and now, a government policy that removes one of the few lifelines we had,” Woosnam added.
Coverage Care is calling on policymakers to reconsider the impact of these immigration changes on the care sector and to engage directly with providers to find sustainable solutions. “We need a workforce strategy that reflects the reality on the ground—not one that leaves care providers scrambling to fill essential roles with fewer and fewer options,” Woosnam said.
