Call for evidence from social care sector to inform immigration inspection

The Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration (ICIBI) has begun an inspection of the relationship between the immigration system and the social care sector in the UK. To help inform the inspection, anyone with relevant professional knowledge or personal experience is being invited to submit evidence.

The inspection will assess the extent to which the Home Office’s immigration functions support the social care sector, examining areas such as:

• The effectiveness and efficiency of the Health and Care Worker visa route.
• The extent and quality of communication and engagement between the Home Office and the social care sector.
• The current suitability of the Home Office’s licencing system for Health and Care Worker visa sponsorship.
• The effectiveness of the Home Office’s compliance requirements on sponsors, including how these safeguard employees from exploitation.
• The Home Office’s progress towards delivery of their transformation plan and Sponsorship Roadmap (published in August 2021) and the effectiveness of any implemented changes.

The ICIBI is an independent monitoring body of the Home Office, which exists to monitor and report in the efficiency and effectiveness of the immigration, asylum, nationality and customs functions carried out by the Home Secretary and by officials and others on her behalf. The Chief Inspector is a public appointee and independent from government. His reports are laid before Parliament.

Employers and employees in the social care sector are strongly encouraged to use this opportunity to have their say on this important matter, as all feedback will play a vital role in shaping the inspection and identifying any areas that need to change.

How to submit evidence

The call for evidence will remain open until 11 September 2023.

Evidence submitted can be both what is working well and what could be improved under the current system, but the Inspector welcomes submissions touching on any and all areas of interest to the sector, including those not outlined above.

The information you submit in this call for evidence may be quoted in the final inspection report, but it is the ICIBI’s practice not to name sources and to anonymise as much as possible any examples or case studies.

Submissions can be sent by email to healthcare@icibi.gov.uk with ‘social care call for evidence’ in the subject line. In accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), you must give your permission for the ICIBI to process and retain the information you submit.

You must therefore add the following consent statement to the body of your email: “I consent to the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration retaining and processing the information and data in this email.”

Support with sponsorship in the social care sector

If you are an employer within the social car sector and require support with sponsoring care workers from overseas, Smith Stone Walters can help.

Our dedicated sponsor licencing team can assist with everything from initial sponsor licence applications and renewals to mock audits and delivering training to ensure ongoing compliance. To find out how we can help, please contact us today.