Britain is increasingly reliant on foreign-born care workers -- particularly in London where six out of all care workers are now foreign-born, including from India, a study says.
Highlighting the key role played by foreign-born care workers, the Oxford-based Centre on Migration, Policy and Society predicts that there will need to be a further 3,000 foreign-born carers or a 2.5 per cent increase each year to 2030 to meet the demands of an ageing population.
According to the study, the proportion of foreign-born care workers overall has more than doubled over the last 10 years. Such workers care for the old and the infirm in old age homes and other nursing homes.
Nationally there are 120,000 foreign-born workers in care homes or home care -- nearly a fifth of all care workers looking after the elderly. Recent migrants playing this key role have originated from India, Poland, the Philippines, Zimbabwe and Nigeria.
In 2008, almost half of UK employers said they struggled to fill staff vacancies, citing low pay and conditions as the main reasons for the recruitment problem.
Even in a recession, the situation has not changed markedly, as although there have been an increase in job applications some UK applicants do not have the necessary skills or experience for working with older people.