One in ten posts in the sector remain empty despite the Government underestimating how many workers would move to Britain under new scheme
An influx of tens of thousands of foreign workers has failed to solve the recruitment crisis in the UK social care sector because of an exodus of British workers, Conservative MPs have said.
The Sunday Telegraph can reveal that the Government underestimated how many care workers would come to Britain by a factor of 10, but the latest workforce figures show the sector is still struggling with high vacancies.
In February 2022, ministers added care workers to the shortage occupation list which grants easier access to skilled worker visas to help providers grappling with staff shortages.
Figures published last week by the Skills for Work charity showed that after the change the number of people recruited from abroad into care roles rose from 20,000 in 2021-22 to 70,000 in 2022-23, of which 58,000 were granted skilled worker visas.