Sue Robb of 4Children talks to Julie Laughton and Alison Britton from the Department for Education about the role of childminders in delivering the 30 hours free entitlement.
New analysis of official figures by the Global Future think tank has warned that ending freedom of movement after Brexit could result in 115,000 fewer adult social care workers by 2026.
The 100,000 carers missing report finds that approximately 222,000 social are staff in England are from overseas, representing 17 per cent of the workforce, meaning that ending freedom of movement could lead to 115,000 fewer social care staff by 2026, compared to the number expected if freedom of movement is retained.
Furthermore, with there currently being one care worker for every 3.4 people aged over 75, the think tank claims that to keep this ratio the same as the population ages, our care sector will need to employ an additional 380,000 staff by 2026. However, the sector is currently adding just 18,000 British workers a year, with the number of non-EU care staff, who are subject to strict immigration controls, also falling over the last five years.
The sector is already in the midst of a staffing crisis, with around 90,000 unfilled vacancies, with a vacancy rate of 6.6 per cent compared to the labour market average of 2.5 per cent. Industry experts warn that without migrant workers ‘we would struggle to provide care at all’.
Peter Starkings, the director of Global Future, said: “Ending free movement after Brexit would cause a social care workforce crisis. Social care is already overstretched, and cutting the number of care staff by 100,000 would have a direct impact on the quality of life of elderly and disabled people.
“Low-skilled workers from the EU are an easy target for politicians, but we rely on them to do vital jobs supporting our elderly and disabled loved ones in care homes and in the community. Without them our social care system would quite simply be unable to function. New health and social care secretary Matt Hancock must make it a priority to protect the adult social care sector – and our elderly and disabled citizens who need care – by fighting and winning a battle within government to allow European workers to continue to work as carers.”
Sue Robb of 4Children talks to Julie Laughton and Alison Britton from the Department for Education about the role of childminders in delivering the 30 hours free entitlement.
Located in Bromley, Japanese Knotweed Eradication Ltd has been providing solutions in the treatment and removal of Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia Japonica) for over a decade. During this time we have mastered a repertoire of methods, from herbicidal treatments to landscaping solutions, tailored to address the unique challenges our clients face with this pervasive weed.
UKREiiF has quickly become a must-attend in the industry calendar for Government departments and local authorities.
The multi-award-winning UK Construction Week (UKCW), is the UK’s biggest trade event for the built environment that connects the whole supply chain to be the catalyst for growth and positive change in the industry.
At GeoEnergy Design, we're on a mission to disrupt the traditional way heating and cooling ha
Professor Harith Alani, director of the Knowledge Management Institute at the Open University explains how AI can be used for good and bad.
Alex Lawrence, head of health & social care, techUK sets out techUK’s Five Point Plan for CareTech.