Although I'm not affected by this new revised policy because I'm already a resident, this latest news is really a good news to those working in nursing homes who are non-resident yet.

To the mods of this forum, please make this a sticky new thread if possible for the benefit of those who are affected by this revised UK policy. To those who have access to other forums or have email distribution list or have relatives or friends that are affected by this policy, send this email to them.

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RP caregivers to benefit from new UK policy

By Jerome Aning
Inquirer
Last updated 04:59am (Mla time) 08/11/2007

MANILA, Philippines—The United Kingdom has reversed its policy of not granting extensions to the five-year work permits given to foreign caregivers.

The policy change will benefit 25,000 Filipino caregivers in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, said Emmanuel Geslani, a recruitment industry consultant for several local agencies.

With the issuance and publication of the new policy guidelines within the month, applications for extensions would now be acted upon, he said.

Extending the caregivers’ work permits will also mean that their employers will have to meet the new annual salary rate of £14,600 or the hourly rate of £7.02, said Geslani.

According to Geslani, the change in policy was relayed by Martin Green, the chief executive officer of the English Community Care Association.

Green is in contact with the British government, including the ministers for health and home and the Borders and Immigration Agency (BIA), he said.

The BIA relented on the non-extension policy after talks between the health and home ministries, Geslani told reporters.

Detrimental

Care organizations and employers of the Filipinos in the UK have been lobbying members of parliament for a reversal of the policy, saying it was detrimental to the UK’s care sector.

Geslani said the applications of Filipino caregivers, who are still in Manila, for new work permits would still be dealt with on a “case-by-case basis,” meaning that the organizations hiring them will have to prove that they have a real need for a caregiver and can comply with the new requirements.

“The intention is not to stop well-qualified health care staff entering the UK but instead make sure they are employed correctly and undertaking the official duties of a caregiver,” Geslani said.

He said this was good news for Filipinos as they were well-qualified, able to speak good English and therefore have a greater opportunity to be admitted for work in the UK, he said.

Care homes in the UK started to use the services of Filipinos in 1998. Ninety percent of the 25,000 Filipino caregivers in the UK work in hundreds of privately run care homes, while the remaining 10 percent are with the National Health Service.

“Filipinos are well-loved and respected for they are hard-working, very loving and English-speaking, an advantage over workers from the new European Union member states,” Geslani said.