Care Work in the UK — Guide for Zimbabweans

Care work has been one of the most common routes for Zimbabweans coming to the UK in recent years. Thousands arrived on Health and Care Worker visas between 2022 and 2025, working in adult social care, nursing homes, domiciliary care, and NHS settings. What care work involves: - Supporting elderly, disabled, or vulnerable adults with daily tasks such as washing, dressing, eating, medication, and mobility - Roles include care assistant, support worker, senior carer, and home care worker - Shifts often include nights, weekends, and bank holidays - Pay ranges from National Minimum Wage (£12.21/hour from April 2025) to £13-15/hour for experienced or senior roles - Many care companies provide training including the Care Certificate (15 standards covering duty of care, safeguarding, infection control, etc.) Finding care work: - Indeed.co.uk, Reed.co.uk, and NHS Jobs list care vacancies daily - Care-specific job boards: carehome.co.uk/jobs, socialcare.co.uk - CQC-registered providers are the safest employers — check any company at cqc.org.uk before accepting a role - If you are in or around Milton Keynes, More-Energy Care Services Ltd is a CQC-registered provider worth looking at (based in MK1 1QT) - Zimbabwean community WhatsApp groups often share care vacancies Important changes since 2025: - Overseas recruitment for social care workers ended on 22 July 2025. New care worker visas are no longer being issued from abroad. - Those already in the UK on Health and Care Worker visas can still extend and switch employers - Health and Care Worker visa holders are exempt from the Immigration Health Surcharge - The pathway to ILR (settlement) remains available but timelines may change under Earned Settlement proposals Your rights as a care worker: - You must be paid at least the National Minimum Wage for ALL working hours, including travel time between clients for domiciliary care - Sleep-in shifts must be paid at least NMW if you are required to be awake and working - Your employer cannot confiscate your passport or BRP — this is illegal - If your sponsor mistreats you, you can report them to UKVI and apply to switch sponsors - Contact ACAS (0300 123 1100) for free employment advice - Modern Slavery Helpline: 08000 121 700 if you are being exploited CQC ratings matter: - The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspects and rates all care providers in England - Ratings: Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, Inadequate - Working for a well-rated provider protects you — poorly rated employers face enforcement action - Always check a provider's CQC rating before accepting a position: cqc.org.uk