The Kent Integrated Care Alliance(KICA) was delighted to welcome Mike Tapp MP, to their member Crownwood Healthcare’s Temple Ewell nursing home on 12 June 2026, for a frank and constructive discussion on the future of the adult social care workforce in Kent and Medway.
The visit took place against the backdrop of the recent public consultation regarding the restructuring of theHome Office Health and Care Worker. In addition, Skills for Care data published in October 2025 shows that:
● 34% of Kent's adult social care workforce is non-British (29%non-EU, 5% EU)
● Kent's adult social care sector loses8,200 workers a year to a 22.6% turnover rate, with vacancy rates running at 6.2%
The Minister spent time on the floor at Temple Ewell, meeting sponsored care workers who described their roles and the length of time they have been on sponsorship, and seeing how their Director and Nominated Individual, Mitesh Kunvarji, runs the home and the rigour the team brings to care quality.
Positive themes the Minister heard on the visit
● The KICA Regional Hub has, since the closure of the Health and Care Worker visa route to new overseas applications, successfully matched displaced sponsored workers into vacancies across the region.
● Crownwood Healthcare operates a highly compliant, settled, multinational workforce, with sponsored staff who have built lives, careers, and longstanding ties in the local community
● The DHSC funded Kent displaced workers hub is directly relieving pressure on local authority commissioning by stabilising provider workforces without further reliance on new overseas sponsorship
● KICA members continue to invest in their businesses even though operating times are tough, Crownwood is currently extending its premises to expand capacity for local residents
Ann Taylor, Chairperson of KICA, said:
"It was a privilege to host the Minister at Crownwood, Temple Ewell nursing home and to show him in person what happens day to day, while meeting the multinational team caring for our most vulnerable residents. The conversation reinforced our determination to continue the vital work of the regional hubs into 2027 and beyond. Kent and Medway have shown that, with the right infrastructure, displaced sponsored workers can be matched into the homes that need them, however with up to 300 workers across the county still looking for placements, this work is far from finished. The international worker regional hub model deserves to be sustained, scaled, and properly funded into the next financial year and beyond."
Indefinite leave to remain
The Minister discussed the major parliamentary consultation on Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) for the care sector. The Minister indicated that news on the ILR settlement question will be released in due course and that, while he was unable to share specifics, the announcement should be ‘generally positive’ for the care sector.
Molly Holt, recruitment lead for the KICA hub, welcomed the indication of positive news but detailed care and support workers are not ‘unskilled’ as they deliver statutory duties under theCare Act 2014 and are the backbone of domiciliary, supported living, and residential services across Kent. Mitesh raised the direct operational risk that an extended ILR pathway for care, paired with the unchanged five-year pathway for the NHS, will push sponsored care staff to leave for the NHS, accelerating workforce loss in the very sector that can least afford it.
Displaced workers
The Minister expressed genuine interest in the success of the displaced worker scheme, and was visibly surprised to learn that, despite the hub's strong matching record, up to 300sponsored workers in Kent and Medway are still actively looking for a placement following the closure of their previous sponsors. KICA used the moment to make the case for continued central funding of the regional hubs into 2027.
DHSC funding pressure
KICA explained that DHSC funding cuts have directly reduced provider capacity to take on displaced workers from the hub. Less funding means less headroom to absorb additional staff, even where the operational need exists. The Minister asked whether KICA had clarity on whether funding would be extended into the next financial year. Molly confirmed that the position was still uncertain and that providers urgently need continuity and guidance.
Certificates of Sponsorship, a system not fit for purpose
A significant portion of the visit was given to the practical problems providers face with the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) allocation system. The Minister was surprised to hear that Mitesh has been waiting since February for an answer on its current CoS allocation to renew existing workers, and acknowledged the operational difficulty of being permitted only one application in train at a time. He recognised that a system in which providers could submit further applications as fresh need arises would better reflect the reality of running a care home.
The Minister also signalled that he has previously argued internally for AI-assisted CoS allocation checks, with a sample reviewed by human caseworkers to ensure accuracy. This reform he believes would materially speed up the system, though the Minister was clear that this would not be implemented in the immediate term.
FairPay Agreement
The Minister noted that the Fair PayAgreement, expected in 2028, should help the sector attract domestic recruits and reduce reliance on sponsored staff over time. KICA welcomed this ambition, however it also indicated the workforce gap must be bridged in the 2026 and 2027 financial years, well before any fair pay framework takes effect.
