Key Policy Changes in December
Immigration changes
On 4 December, the Home Secretary, James Cleverly, gave a statement to the House of Commons on legal migration. This detailed significant changes to the immigration system. Of particular significance are the following changes -
An increase in the minimum annual salary required for employees applying for a skilled worker visa in the UK. This will increase from £26,000 to £38,700 so that it is in line with the median full-time wage in those jobs. However, those on health and care visas will be exempt.
Measures to end the alleged abuse of the health and social care visa will see workers being stopped from bringing dependents.
In this statement the Home Secretary set out the requirement for "care firms in England to be regulated by the Care Quality Commission in order to sponsor visas".
The new measures are due to take effect in Spring 2024.
Care England is currently collating feedback, questions and concerns from members in regard to this announcement to help inform ongoing conversations with the Department of Health and Social Care and the Home Office as they develop the policy details of the announcement. If you would like to submit any feedback, please contact George atgappleton@careengland.org.uk.
National Disability Strategy
The Women and Equalities Committee has published its report on the National Disability Strategy, which suggests the Government has not learnt lessons from the concerns raised over the development of the strategy, and warns the Government's efforts to engage with disabled people are perceived to be superficial.
The paper concludes that instead of establishing a long-term vision to transform the everyday lives of disabled people, the government produced a disability strategy in name only, with disabled people and their representative organisation having little to no influence. The Committee noted that only a strategy which integrates different policy areas such as education, health, social care, education and transport, will have a truly transformational effect.
Care England submitted evidence to the National Disability Strategy consultation and gave oral evidence to the committee to help shape the findings of this paper. We remain committed to advocating for the inclusion of social care in the shaping of relevant policies.
Government response to the consultation on visiting in care homes, hospitals and hospices
On 6 December, the Government announced that it will bring forward secondary legislation to introduce visiting as a new fundamental standard in the CQC regulations.
This means the CQC will have a clear mandate to check that providers are meeting their obligations to ensure that visits are a fundamental standard of care.
New guidance will include:
Legislation to help create a consistent understanding of what is acceptable across all relevant providers.
Enforcement by the CQC as part of its existing civil enforcement powers.
A clear complaints process guidance for when issues do arise.
A provision in regulations that residents should be encouraged to take visits out of the care home to support their wellbeing.
Exclusions from new guidance:
Services for substance misuse and inpatient detoxification or rehabilitation
Supported living settings and ‘extra care’ housing schemes
The timeframe for implementation is not clear, beyond the Government position that “we intend to progress with secondary legislation to amend CQC Regulations to make visiting a new fundamental standard as soon as possible.”