International Social Care Workers: People and places in an exchangeable time Policy Research Programme: Workforce Initiative Shereen Hussein Jill Manthorpe Martin Stevens May 2008

2 The Research Started mid July 2007 and due to be completed in July 2009; – funded by the Department of Health, Social Care Workforce Research Initiative Quantitative analysis of secondary existing data Interviews with different stakeholders – Recruitment agencies – Policy, regulatory, carers organisations – Employers/human resource managers – International workers – Their colleagues – Refugees and asylum seekers

3 This Presentation based on the first Phase Literature Review Phone interviews with 20 recruitment agencies Secondary data analysis of the NMDS-SC

4 Adult Social Care in England Who are in the formal workforce: – More qualified, for example: Social workers Occupational therapists – Less qualified, for example: Support workers Care workers Personal assistants – Statutory, and independent (voluntary and private) sectors

5 Why more workers needed Increasing demand – Changing demographics More older people More formal care – Medical advances: Longer ill health periods of life More adults needing support and care

6 Why need international workers Recruitments difficulties – Status – Pay – Unclear career path – Difficulties in accessing training – Stress

7 Advantages of recruiting international workers Practical need: – Staff shortages; – Personalization agenda Types of workers – Hard workers; highly motivated; appreciate their jobs (and the pay) Different perspectives – Bringing something new; – international learning

8 Barriers and difficulties when employing international workers in social care Recruitment process – CRB and Police checks – Visas – Retrieving references After placement – Qualifications’ recognition – Induction and training needs – Nature of work Personal and culture sensitive Different concepts of ‘care’ Language and communication issues

9 Workforce Profile Different profiles for qualified and less qualified types of work Increasing trend of employing international workers in both sets of jobs However, different types of migrants, in relation to qualifications and country of origin in the two sets

10 Social Care Workforce profile: Gender imbalance; – women dominated Middle age workforce – Majority – Growing older – Particularly in the less qualified set Higher proportion of ethnic minority workers (in the less qualified set) – Around 80% mainly Afro Caribbean

11 International workers and social care: More qualified jobs Increasing trend of employing directly from abroad: – Particularly from countries where social work education is seen to be more compatible with the UK – Australia; New Zealand; South Africa – More recently from the US and Canada Tend to come for a specific period of time – Specific contact – Gap year students

12 International workers and social care: Less qualified jobs Often recruited from Migrants already in UK – Agency work seems to be particularly attractive A recent influx of workers from Eastern Europe Younger – In their twenties Highly mobile – Less family ties; welling to move geographically Often over qualified for the jobs

13 Dramatic changeable trend in the less qualified workforce picture Younger More ‘White’ Increasingly mobile – Within the sector Stepping stone until own qualifications are recognized – Between sectors – Geographically (nationally and internationally)

14 Possible Implications Employers – Induction and training Service Users and carers – Culture and language differences – Stability of care provider Colleagues – Ethnic minority workers Workforce planning – Stability, qualification recognition

15 Future steps and further information Six study sites Planned 280 interviews with different stakeholders Further information Shereen Hussein: