The Government’s new immigration system published today fails to tackle the deepening staffing crisis in the health and social care sector, according to Royds Withy King solicitors.

The Immigration White Paper severely limits the ability of health and care providers to recruit so-called low-skilled care workers from the EU after Brexit. The new restriction is in addition to existing immigration control on international workers.

EU citizens must apply for Settled/Pre-Settled Status to continue to live and work in the UK, or alternatively must be sponsored to work in the UK in the future.

To obtain Settled Status, an applicant must have been living in the UK for five continuous years.  If they have not been in the UK for that period of time, they will generally obtain Pre Settled Status which allows a EU citizen to continue to accrue time in the UK to obtain Settled Status.  They must have started living in the UK by 31st December 2020.  The deadline for Settled/Pre Settled Status applications is June 30 2021 but the Home Office is running a pilot scheme ahead of the public launch of the scheme in March 2019 for EU staff in some sectors to assist the provision of crucial services.

Healthcare sector investor volumes have been moderate sofar in 2018, but there remains potential for a late end-year surge. This was the case in 2017 when c.£560m of deals transacted in the fourth quarter of the year alone.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) final guidance on care contracts and consumer law obligations was published recently.
The guidance will, says law firm Royds Withy King, have wide-reaching implications for care homes and care providers, requiring them to review the way they operate in terms of admissions procedures, marketing, complaints handling and how they contract with service users.

Walden Care have purchased 2 operating care homes and also have a funding facility in place to refurbish their existing units and purchase 1 turnkey home. 

 

Royds Withy King are delighted to invite care owners and directors to our 'future of social care' seminar in Surrey. In conjunction with our guest speakers we will explore what the future holds for care providers in a world of changing consumer law, workforce challenges and technology.