International Recruitment
International recruitment plays a valuable role in our adult social care workforce, bringing diverse skills, perspectives, and dedication to the sector.
Important Notice: Individual Applications
Care England does not provide sponsorship or visa application support for individuals seeking employment in the UK. If you are looking for assistance with sponsorship or visa applications, please contact one of the recruitment companies listed below. They specialise in international recruitment and will be able to advise you on the next steps.
For further information on UK visa and immigration requirements, please visit the official UK Government website: www.gov.uk.
This page is designed to support care providers navigating the complexities of international recruitment, offering guidance, up-to-date resources, and the latest news. From understanding policy changes to accessing practical tools and identifying the right support contacts, we aim to equip you with everything needed to recruit and retain international staff effectively. Together, we can ensure a thriving workforce that meets the growing needs of adult social care.
Our International Recruitment Partners
International Institute of Health Sciences (IIHS)
IIHS is an organization driven by a commitment to our local and global community. We have a 20-year history of drawing on best practices and approaches from around the world to deliver innovatively, sometimes ground-breaking programmes in healthcare education, research, and community development. Along the way, we’ve helped professionalize nursing and allied health education in Sri Lanka and the region.
TERN Group
Breaking Down Borders in Global Recruitment
TERN is on a mission to address the talent shortage problem in Europe and beyond. We are the world’s first full-stack upskilling, global migration, and placement platform for skilled professionals. We make it easy for people to upskill for their dream job, migrate to the country of their choice, and be placed in a top job with a reputed employer. On the other hand, we also make it easy for employers across the world to find, relocate and integrate top-tier international talent that meets their specific requirements.
International talent available to support your adult social care workforce
International recruitment plays a valuable role in our adult social care workforce. International recruits give the care sector the benefit of their skill and commitment. However, with increases in international recruitment, we have also seen unacceptable increases in unethical practices and the exploitation of international recruits in the adult social care sector.
Providers found to be unethical in their practices are rightly having their licence to sponsor international recruits revoked. This has led to a significant number of dedicated adult social care workers who have been displaced from their original employer and potentially left without work, through no fault of their own. This means they need to urgently find new employment in the sector with an ethical provider who can sponsor them.
A large pool of dedicated talent is available across England to support your workforce.
Social care providers who have employed displaced workers highly value the compassion and expertise they bring, as one home care manager highlights:
“At Avant Home Care, we recognise the invaluable contributions of skilled care workers who, due to various circumstances, have found themselves seeking new roles. This often-untapped pool of talent offers an exceptional opportunity for the social care sector to bridge workforce gaps with dedicated professionals ready to bring compassion and expertise to those in need. We strongly encourage other social care providers to look to these displaced workers to address staffing needs where needed in our local communities”.
If you have vacancies in England and you are looking to recruit international workers, please contact your relevant regional lead from the list below.
Applications for licences and certificates of sponsorship for international recruits can be expedited free of charge when employing a displaced worker. Please refer to the toolkit of best practice, developed in collaboration with Skills for Care, to support you through the process of ethical international recruitment. All international recruitment must adhere to the Code of Practice.
Please do consider this pool of displaced talent when recruiting international workers.
| Region | Contact details |
|---|---|
| North Central London | NCL.HSCAcademy@camden.gov.uk |
| North West London | chelwest.nwlirsub-regional@nhs.net |
| South East London | IR.SELondon@bexley.gov.uk |
| North East London | NEL.IRSupport@havering.gov.uk |
| South West London | Internationalrecruitment@southlondonpartnership.co.uk |
| South East England | Please fill in this form |
| East of England | internationalrecruitmenteast@norfolk.gov.uk |
| South West | commissioning.swadass@swcouncils.gov.uk |
| East Midlands | employersupport@eastmidscare.co.uk |
| West Midlands | intlrecruitmentinfo@wm-adass.org.uk |
| Yorkshire & Humber | international.recruitment@adassyh.org.uk |
| Greater Manchester | nhsgm.gmadviceandsupport@nhs.net |
| Cheshire & Mersey | cminternationalrecru@warrington.gov.uk |
| Lancashire, Westmorland & Furness | IRSupport@lancashire.gov.uk |
| North East | sponsored.support@durham.gov.uk |
This content was produced by the Department of Health and Social Care and shared with Care England to cascade to members, to download a copy of this document, please click here.
International Recruitment News
Immigration and Asylum Reforms Announced by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood Introduction The Home Secretary has announced proposals for the most significant overhaul of the UK’s settlement system in over a...
Read moreCare England, the largest representative body for independent adult social care providers, has responded to Skills for Care’s latest report on the size and structure of the adult social care...
Read moreCare England, the largest and most diverse body for independent adult social care providers in England, today welcomed the publication of the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report...
Read moreLast month, the government announced plans to stop the care worker visa as part of new restrictions on low-skilled workers. It is estimated that the decision will cut these foreign workers...
Read moreCare England expresses deep concern following the Government’s announcement that the Health and Care Worker visa route will be closed to new overseas applicants for adult social care roles: this...
Read moreResponding to the Government’s announcement that the care worker visa route will be closed, Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, said: “This is a crushing blow to...
Read moreResources to Support Displaced Workers
8 January 2025Care England, the leading voice for adult social care providers in England, is gravely concerned by new figures showing a 65% drop in Health and Care Worker visa grants over...
Read moreToday, Home Office statistics revealed that fewer people are seeking to come from abroad to work in the NHS and social care. The figures show that the Home Office approved...
Read moreNew figures but no surprises
1 May 2024In response to new figures from the Home Office about the Health and Care Worker visa, Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, said: “Since the Government’s announcement...
Read moreCare England Comments: Changes to Immigration
5 December 2023In response to the Home Secretary’s announcement of changes to immigration announced today (Monday 4 December), Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England says: “The government recognised the...
Read moreBA Healthcare have placed almost 8,000 nurses and healthcare professionals across the UK On 22 September, Care England hosted a webinar to provide information on domestic and international recruitment to...
Read more
