Source · Select Committees · Health and Social Care Committee
Recommendation 70
70
Rejected
Paragraph: 227
Waive international recruitment costs, including skills charge, for care workers and sponsors.
Recommendation
International recruitment is too expensive for some social care providers. The Government should consider helping by waiving the cost of sponsorship certificates and licenses, including the immigration skills charge, for care workers and their sponsors, for two years, and other similar measures.
Government Response Summary
The government rejected the recommendation to waive the cost of sponsorship certificates and licenses for care workers, deeming it unreasonable. They noted positive responses to current inclusion on the Shortage Occupation List and announced a £15 million support fund to help reduce recruitment costs and complexity for providers.
Paragraph Reference:
227
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
The government does not consider it reasonable to waive the cost of sponsorship licences and certificates. Employers will need to factor in these costs when considering whether to recruit internationally. Current indications, however, are that adult social care providers are responding positively to the inclusion of care workers on the Shortage Occupation List in February 2022. The government is working actively with the adult social care sector and local authorities to help promote collaborative approaches to international recruitment. We have announced £15 million investment in a support fund to help establish local support arrangements, with the aim of reducing the cost and complexity of the process for individual providers and promoting ethical recruitment and employment practices. We will announce more details of the fund shortly.