225 social care organisations across Scotland contributed to the report.
A new survey conducted by Scottish Care highlights the social care sector's significant reliance on international workers and warns of "devastating" and potentially "catastrophic" impacts if the recruitment of international care workers were to end.
The survey gathered responses from 225 social care organisations across Scotland, collectively supporting over 46,000 individuals and employing more than 43,000 workers.
Key findings reveal the deep integration of international workers into the Scottish care workforce.
The findings predict a severe, negative, and potentially catastrophic impact on social care services in Scotland if international recruitment were to end, exacerbating existing challenges with staffing, financial viability, and quality of care.
Responding organisations employ well over 11,000 international workers.
International workers constitute an average of 32% of responding organisations’ total workforce.
A notable number of organisations have a very high dependency: 7% of organisations report international workers make up over 90% of their total workforce, while 14% rely on international workers for over 75% of their staff. Another 11% of organisations reported international staff making up 50-75%.
Of the international workers employed by respondents, nearly 7,000 are currently on a visa, accounting for 60% of the international workforce in the survey responses.
When asked about the impact of ending international care worker recruitment, respondents consistently predicted severe negative consequences.
A primary concern cited is the inability to recruit local staff, with multiple providers stating that "British nationals do not want to work in care".
One provider noted they had "not interviewed a Caucasian British person in 3.5 years".
The end of international recruitment would significantly reduce the available recruitment pool, leading to severe staffing shortages.
Many view international staff as their "lifeline" who have brought much-needed stability.
Financially and operationally, providers anticipate increased dependency on expensive agency staff. This reliance could make services financially unviable, with some predicting service closures, potentially "within a matter of months". Remote locations face particular challenges in accessing agency staff.
Concerns were also raised about the quality of care and service delivery. Reduced staffing could lead to increased workload and burnout for existing staff, and a loss of continuity of care due to agency use. International workers are highly valued for their positive work ethic, reliability, commitment, and respectful approach to elderly care.
Beyond operations, respondents noted the positive cultural and community impact of international staff, describing them as being "part of the fabric" of companies, teams, and communities.
Overall, the survey findings overwhelmingly indicate that the social care sector is fundamentally dependent on international workers. Ending international recruitment is widely viewed by independent sector providers as an existential threat, pushing the sector deeper into crisis. Some respondents raised ethical concerns about the perceived unfairness of relying on international workers during crises and then changing policies affecting them, with one calling a potential policy change "an act of idiocy".
Dr Donald Macaskill, CEO of Scottish Care, said: “This is one of the most disturbing survey responses that I have read from Scottish Care members. It paints a picture variously described by participants as ‘disastrous’, ‘catastrophic’ or ‘complete collapse’.
“The extent of dependency upon international colleagues is very significant and we urgently require the United Kingdom Government to take stock of reality and not to continue to act in a manner which is disrespectful of individual workers and social care as a whole and which is completely ignorant of the reality of Scotland’s particular needs.
“The Prime Minister in word and action is hurting Scotland. That needs to change.”
