Employers' Resources (DW)
Displaced workers are people who came to the UK on a work visa, to start a new life and contribute to our society and economy, to fill jobs that our domestic workforce have been unwilling to do, but for one reason or another have lost their sponsor, or have found themselves being exploited by their sponsor.
The CWSS has been working closely with Scottish Government, regional hubs and recruiters to create a process that aims to help simplify access to displaced workers within the social care sector. This in turn, will reduce the stress and anxiety those workers will feel.
Scottish Goverment £500,000 funding for Scottish Social Care
On 13 October Scottish Government announced the development of a bespoke £500,000 scheme to support Scottish Adult Social Care employers remove barriers for the employment of displaced workers.
The scheme offers targeted funding to adult social care employers based in Scotland to recruit displaced adult social care workers who are already in the UK. Employers should access the scheme, not displaced workers.
Minimum requirements to apply for this funding are that employers must:
- Hold a Sponsorship license
- Registered with the Care Inspectorate
- Have an existing vacancy that is suitable for displaced workers on a Health and Social Care Visa
Eligible employers can apply for funding to support the employment of up to 3 displaced workers.
Scottish Government now invites Adult Social Care employers who are eligible, and wish to apply for targeted funding, to submit an expression of interest. Further information can be found at www.gov.scot/publications/adult-social-care-displaced-worker-scheme
Immigration policy
Immigration matters are fully reserved to the UK Government, which manages the design and operation of the immigration system through the Home Office.
The UK Government closed the health and care visa route to new international social care worker applications in July 2025, as part of their immigration reforms.
Additional support for employers
Scotland’s Migration Service offers guidance on hiring international workers. This includes access to free one-to-one advice sessions with immigration lawyers.
New ‘Sponsor Licence’ filter on myjobscotland, helping displaced workers quickly and easily find a job vacancy.
Scottish Government funding allows Adult Social Care employers to post job vacancies for free on myjobscotland.
To help connect displaced workers with appropriate sponsors, there is now a filter in myjobscotland that allows employers to indicate if they hold a Sponsor Licence, making it simpler for a migrant or displaced worker to filter their job search and identify a potential employer quickly.
To tick the Sponsor Licence box when uploading a role, you must;
- hold a Sponsor Licence and are able to legally employ a displaced worker (following the requirements as set by the Home Office)
- have an existing vacancy that is suitable for displaced workers on a Health and Social Care Visa
These posts will still appear in the main search page, and therefore will remain open to all applicants (as per post qualifying criteria), however by ticking this box, the post advertised will also appear in a specific filter that will allow displaced workers to more easily find and apply for posts with employers who hold a sponsorship license.
For a guide on how to use the Displaced Worker filter, please visit; Displaced workers sponsor - How to advertise. Should you require further support please contact advertising@cosla.gov.uk
Displaced workers
Migrant workers who lose their visa sponsor are likely to experience financial insecurity. Potentially becoming destitute if they do not earn enough to support themselves or their families, especially as they have no recourse to public funds and benefits. This can also lead to exploitation and debt as they borrow to cover living expenses or their situation is exploited by unethical, and criminal, recruiters and employers. They are likely to find it very challenging to find a new sponsor, which is compounded by the ticking clock that is the UKVI countdown to deportation
Guidance for Scottish Local Authority Social Care Commissioners and Operational Managers
This guidance has been written to support Scottish local authority contracts and commissioning staff who are faced with a care provider having their visa sponsor licence revoked.
The impact of licence revocation will vary depending on the size of the provider and the structure of the local social care market; however this guidance should be considered in all situations.
Download here:
UKVI
UKVI may take up to 2 months, after the sponsor’s licence has been revoked, to send an individual a letter telling them that their sponsor has lost their licence, and that their visa is being cancelled.
They usually give 60 days notice, so generally a displaced worker will have around 4 months from the time their sponsor’s licence is revoked, to the date their leave to remain in the UK runs out
If they remain in the UK beyond that date, without finding a new sponsor, or making an application on an alternative route they may be qualified for, then they risk being detained and removed from the UK, with any visa application made within the next 10 years being unlikely to be approved or they will just disappear into the black economy
The process below has been produced to move things in the right direction quicker and reduce the worry for the workers.
Employing Displaced Workers
The CWSS team have successfully ran an event aimed at Scottish adult social care employers and providers on Employing Displaced Workers.
Recruiting and retaining staff remains one of the biggest challenges facing the Scottish Adult Social Care (ASC) sector, especially following the recent closure of overseas recruitment routes for care workers.
At the same time, there are up to 40,000 displaced workers across the UK urgently seeking new sponsors and employment. The UK Government is prioritising support for these individuals, and the Scottish Government is actively encouraging care providers in Scotland to recruit displaced workers currently based in England.
We will be supporting further events in the coming months and these will be recorded and made available in this area.
Employing Displaced Workers
Our recordings from online events
Recruitment process
- Displaced workers in the UK would contact one of the support hubs or regions already established
- The hubs/regions would share information on workers seeking employment with the recruitment agencies who are at the core of this matching process.
- Employers with vacancies who wish to participate can contact these agencies for details of suitable candidates
- Then there is the normal interview, appointment and onboarding processes
- Everyone involved must agree to work in an ethical way and there can be no cost to the workers themselves
Agencies
Employers can approach a sponsor-matching agency, some of whom specialise in helping displaced workers find a new sponsor. You can search online to find one, or approach one of those listed below, but please be aware that we are not recommending or endorsing their activities, you need to be confident that what they are offering meets your own, personal requirements:
Osborne & Allan specialise in international recruitment within the health and social care sector, supporting candidates who have been displaced and find themselves in a difficult situation to gain employment with a reputable UK employer with no costs to the candidate. They can be contacted by email at emma@osborneallan.co.uk or hello@osborneallan.co.uk, or by phone at 07841017452 and/or 01592 859999.
Lifted offers a free (to the candidate) sponsor-matching service to workers throughout the UK. Their website can be found via this link.
Borderless is a national initiative connecting care providers with displaced workers to help the sector adapt to new Home Office recruitment regulations. Allowing employers to search a national pool of displaced, qualified care workers, simplify and strengthen compliance with updated Home Office regulations and a free service for businesses and care workers. Contact via www.getborderless.co.uk
Contact us!
If you would like to get in contact with the CWSS team, you can send an email to us at nes.cwssocial@nhs.scot
If you need more information, guidance or support on this topic, get in touch and the CWSS team will respond to you directly.
We welcome your input and comments