The Government is punishing social care for its own immigration failures - Sue Cawthray

At Harrogate Neighbours and across the sector, we have worked incredibly hard to follow the proper processes. We’ve obtained sponsor licences, paid significant fees and recruited people through official and legal channels. We haven’t taken shortcuts. We’ve done it right, yet the sector is now being penalised.

Unfortunately, there have been people who’ve abused the system - setting up fake agencies and exploiting loopholes. But that’s not the majority. Those who have done things properly, who have invested in doing it the right way, are now suffering.

And let’s be clear: we do not have people queuing up to work in care. It’s a hard job. It's emotionally demanding, physically tiring and often undervalued. If the Government has a better idea of where we’re supposed to find the workforce we so desperately need, I haven’t heard it yet.

To make matters worse, the Government is talking about requiring care workers to have university degrees. This is not only impractical - it’s completely tone-deaf. Many of our dedicated care workers do not have degrees. But they are compassionate, hardworking professionals who show up every single day to care for the most vulnerable in our society. Imposing a degree-level entry requirement risks making those already in the sector feel demoralised and unworthy. It sends the wrong message - that their experience and dedication somehow don’t count.

And financially, how would this even work? How are we meant to pay degree-level salaries when we’re already not being paid the real cost of care by local authorities? With rising costs, increased National Insurance contributions, and ever-tightening budgets, this sector is under extreme pressure.

The changes to National Insurance were already a huge blow. And now this. What exactly are we supposed to do with our elderly population? Where do they expect people to go when there aren’t enough carers to support them? We are already a broken sector, and now we’re facing even more challenges. Everyone I speak to is exhausted, disillusioned, and deeply concerned for the future.

There are even talks of a local march to protest the current cost of care and what we’re being paid to deliver it. How can we be expected to provide quality care when the funding doesn’t reflect the reality of our expenses? The cost of living has gone up. Our operational costs have gone up. But the support hasn’t.

The core issue here is that care is still not recognised as a profession. Until it is treated with the same respect as nursing or medicine, we will always be fighting an uphill battle. Caring for older people should be seen as a vital, skilled and respected job. Immigrants have played an essential role in sustaining this sector, and shutting them out is only going to deepen the crisis.

Sue Cawthray is the CEO of Harrogate Neighbours.