These clients require care workers who can communicate clearly and can speak a good level of English. By setting out a strict criteria for people from outside the EU and Switzerland, it means that only those who gain enough qualifying points will be granted work permits. While this may decrease the number of migrant workers coming to work in the UK, it may increase the number of care workers turning their job into a lifelong career, as a lot of migrant workers come to the UK to work for short periods of time resulting in a high staff turnover in the care industry.

Bluebird Care's Managing Director Paul Tarsey said: 'There has been comment in the news about the care industry being hard-hit by the limiting of migrant workers but, for us, it's good news.

'For a long time now, we have been championing high quality care and, most importantly, encouraging our staff to look at care as a career rather than just a job. Our long term training and staff development packages have been hugely successful at making sure we have the right people to satisfy the needs of our customers.

'Whilst traditionally there has always been a high number of workers from abroad working within residential care, when you are visiting someone in their own home, the importance of good communication skills becomes vital and hence first-class English is an absolute requirement,' he added.

New laws state that people from outside Switzerland and EU countries must satisfy strict criteria, and notch up qualifying 'points' before being granted work permits.

Published: 25 September 2008

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