Sponsorship visas helping care industry recruitment

Mohan Sivashankar moved to Poole with his wife in 2021

Mohan Sivashankar left behind his home in India and a job in mechanical engineering for a life in the UK three years ago.

Since moving to Poole, Dorset, his career has taken a different path - he now works as a healthcare assistant at Eagles Mount Care Home.

He is among a new wave of migrants from outside Europe that have come to the UK in increasing numbers since the coronavirus pandemic.

His employer, Luxurycare, said problems with staff recruitment after Brexit had been eased thanks to sponsorship visas.

They allow the company to apply for visas for international applicants.

Mr Sivashankar was a mechanical engineer in India

Mr Sivashankar said the UK had a lot of opportunities for foreigners.

"We do feel coming here is a safe place compared to other countries, a safe place and good pay, so that's the reason we move here," he added.

Finding care home staff in Dorset has been tough for Luxurycare in recent years, after Brexit ended freedom of movement.

Bosses said a combination of EU citizens returning to their native country, competing employers and demands from the NHS saw the pool of workers shrink.

Eagles Mount Care Home used to have 20 staff from the EU, but that number has now halved.

Of its 71 members of staff, 18 are English and 53 are non-English, with workers from India, Sri Lanka and Nigeria.

Care home company boss Samantha Hoskins says she employs people from all over the world

Managing director Samantha Hoskins said they had been recruiting these workers using sponsorship visas.

"It wasn't a conscious decision by us to no longer employ European staff," she said.

"I think the fact that people couldn't come and go as they were able to had a direct impact on the care industry, so we weren't getting as many people applying from European countries."

Luxurycare runs six care homes across Poole and Bournemouth, employing 490 members of staff.

Of its workforce, 148 are English and 342 are classed as "overseas".

Some staff are overseas-born but have indefinite leave to remain through family connections, such as a spouse, while others may be employed through sponsorship or hold different types of visas.

Charity Lawrence works as a health care assistant at Eagles Mount Care Home

Charity Lawrence moved to Poole from Nigeria under a sponsorship visa and said the process was quite easy.

"They offered me a visa and I made my application and here I am," she said.

"They have helped me enhance my English speaking level, they offer me extra courses outside care, it's a lot of value to me."

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said the NHS had always drawn on talent from around the world.

"This government is also committed to developing our own homegrown talent and giving opportunities to more people across the country to join our NHS, by training thousands more doctors and nurses," it added.