A new charter designed to strengthen protection for migrant social care workers has been launched across the South East following a rise in cases of harassment, intimidation and unfair dismissal, UNISON says today (Thursday).
The charter calls for councils to take a series of practical steps to support care staff who have come from overseas, and prevent them from being mistreated, threatened and underpaid by unscrupulous employers, says the union.
Migrant employees represent an increasing proportion of the social care workforce in the region, and vulnerable people are increasingly reliant on them due to huge staffing shortage.
The launch of UNISON’s charter follows new data from Unseen, the charity behind the Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline, highlighting growing concerns about exploitation in the UK’s care sector.
Unseen’s latest figures show the care sector accounts for the highest number of labour abuse cases it has dealt with. They account for almost one in four (24%) potential victims and more than half (53%) are women, the charity says.
Other data shows that across the South East, 303 potential cases of modern slavery were reported to police forces in 2024, underlining the scale of exploitation across the region.
UNISON has received an increasing number of cases from migrant workers who have been victimised by managers, had unlawful deductions from their pay or threatened with losing their jobs and visas. These have included staff working directly for local authorities and at private care providers commissioned by the council.
The new charter sets out a number of commitments for local authorities to ensure workers aren’t exploited. They include a ban on recruitment charges and visa fees; a requirement for annual modern-slavery statements; vetting of recruitment agencies; and prevention of employers forcing workers to move job locations.
UNISON South East regional secretary Maggi Ferncombe said: “Care workers are the backbone of communities, yet far too many are treated appallingly. Particularly migrant workers who are essential to keeping the sector running.
“The charter clearly sets out steps local authorities can take to enshrine dignity, fairness and security for every care worker, including those who work for private contractors. No one should be exploited for the vital work they do.”
Chair of South East Social Care Alliance (the membership body representing social care providers across the South East of England) Erica Lockhart said:
“The change in immigration rules has caused more stress for workers and the increased costs of employment and visa renewals is an extra financial challenge for employers.
“We are working to find new sponsors for displaced workers in the region. The quality, experience and dedication of the workers has inspired the team and we are delighted we have found new jobs for over 250 of them to date.
“These workers have lost their jobs due to a combination of insufficient available hours, the requirement to have access to a car, and the inability of home care providers to offer consistent work patterns under varying commissioning arrangements.
“Without guaranteed hours the providers risk non-compliance with the strict immigration rules.”
UNISON has been representing migrant care workers across the South East who have faced several hardships at the hands of employers.
Migrant care worker and UNISON member Jordan (whose name has been changed) said: “As a migrant worker, I turned to UNISON when my job and mental health were at risk. I had been unfairly reassigned to another area, which wasn’t included in my contract.
“That meant I had to travel for hours each day by bus with no support, not even transport fare, and to relocate there alone, against my wishes, without colleagues.
“UNISON stood by me, helped me challenge the decision and made sure the issue was resolved, giving me peace of mind.
“Care workers need better protection from exploitation. Local councils should adopt the migrant care workers charter.”
