Ethical Care Matters: Protecting Overseas Workers in the UK Care Sector
- andrew75629
- Apr 16
- 3 min read
A recent BBC investigation has shed light on the growing concerns surrounding the treatment of some migrant care workers brought to the UK on Health and Care Worker visas. These are people who’ve left everything behind to support our health and care system, only to find themselves in vulnerable, sometimes exploitative situations.
At Bespoke Care and Support Services, we feel it’s important to talk about this, not just to acknowledge it, but to clarify our stance and reaffirm our commitment to ethical, person-centred care here in Huddersfield and Kirklees.
What the BBC Report Revealed
The article tells the story of “Sophia”, a care worker who travelled from Zimbabwe to the UK under a sponsorship scheme, paying over £2,000 in fees. She arrived hopeful, ready to build a new life, but was soon working 16-hour days without rest, living in overcrowded accommodation, and threatened with having her visa cancelled if she spoke out.
She’s not alone. Legal experts, unions, and local councils have reported similar experiences from many other migrant care workers. Since 2022, the Home Office has revoked over 470 care providers’ sponsorship licences due to concerns about unethical or illegal treatment of staff. While this crackdown aims to protect workers, it’s also left thousands without work or legal status, vulnerable again, but now within our own borders.
In Yorkshire and the Humber, a regional project has tried to support affected workers. Despite best efforts, only a small number have been successfully matched with new employers due to the limited number of approved sponsors.
Why This Matters in Kirklees
This issue touches every part of the country, including care providers in Kirklees. But it also highlights a deeper truth: the quality of care is built not just on policies or procedures, but on people, and how we treat them.
When care workers feel safe, supported, and fairly treated, it reflects in the care they deliver. At Bespoke Care, we’ve always believed in empowering our team, regardless of their background, to deliver the kind of care they’d want for their own family.
That means:
No illegal fees
No threats or coercion
Proper pay, full training, and a supportive environment
Respect for everyone’s dignity — clients and staff alike
Our Ethical Promise
We are proud of our dedicated care team here at Bespoke Care and Support Services, including those who’ve come from overseas to support our mission of delivering exceptional domiciliary and personal care. But we will always prioritise ethical recruitment, transparent practices, and human-first leadership.
This isn’t just about compliance, it’s about values. And we won’t compromise on ours.
What Families Should Know
If you’re the loved one of someone receiving homecare in Huddersfield, or you're exploring private care options, it’s important to know how your provider treats its staff. Ask questions. Check their practices. At Bespoke, we welcome that kind of transparency, because we’ve got nothing to hide. Our carers are the backbone of what we do. And when they’re looked after, they look after others even better.
Final Thoughts
At Bespoke Care and Support Services, we’ve been aware of issues around exploitation of overseas workers in Kirklees for some time. We’ve had several overseas care workers reach out to us, already in the UK, but working for other providers who were treating them unfairly. Some were overworked, underpaid, and afraid to speak up due to the risk of losing their visa.
This isn’t new news to us, it’s a problem we’ve already seen firsthand, and it’s one we feel strongly about addressing. We believe care work should never come at the cost of someone’s wellbeing or dignity.
We support fair immigration and care workforce policies, and we support workers, regardless of where they come from. What we don’t support is silence in the face of exploitation.
