Our managing director, Tim Wilson, shared alarming reports from within his network about care workers—particularly immigrants—being exploited. Some face extortionate “sponsorship” fees just to obtain UK work visas, others are charged up to £600 per month for substandard accommodation, such as shared floorspace in overcrowded, mixed-gender rooms. Workers who attempt to leave such agencies often face exorbitant penalties.
Tim said, “If they speak out and the agency is shut down, they and their colleagues lose their jobs and are unlikely to be able to find another before they are deported, so they endure these conditions in silence.”
Tim’s comments were in response to a Private Eye Magazine article on the long-awaited government-commissioned Dash report into the failing Care Quality Commission (CQC). Based on its damning interim findings, expectations for a positive final outcome are low. Meanwhile, a collective analysis by care providers has uncovered further troubling developments—this time within community health services—highlighting how vulnerable individuals, including the elderly and disabled, are increasingly exposed to substandard care and potential exploitation.
The Homecare Association warns that the weakening of the CQC has allowed a largely unregulated care sector to flourish. In this vacuum, unethical operators have established questionable agencies that underprice responsible providers by engaging in dubious—and at times illegal—practices that echo modern slavery. This is something that Assist Care Group and Assist Care Agency are strongly against and something that Tim Wilson will never stand for. You can find the full article in Private Eye Magazine.
