International social workers in England: Factors influencing supply and demand

Abstract

Recent years have seen considerable increases in the number of internationally-qualified social workers in England. This article presents trends in the international labour mobility of social workers migrating to work in England alongside information on the supply of UK-trained social workers. It concludes that demographic changes and policy imperatives have accentuated structural issues making it difficult to ensure an adequate supply in the number of domestically-trained social workers. We suggest that more cross-national research is needed to achieve a better understanding of the factors influencing social workers' decisions to work Downloaded from 170 International Social Work 55 (2) in international settings and the extent to which this reflects permanent or temporary migration between countries.

Issue Mapping for an Ageing Europe

“…In discussing the shortages of workers and the spur to recruitment, studies emphasize the widening demographic of elderly people in the U.K., the concomitant demand for social care, the low pay associated with the sector, together with the aforementioned gendered assumptions (Shutes, 2011). Similar to the findings made by Buchan and colleagues on internationally recruited nurses, recent survey work on social care worker migration to the U.K. has found Commonwealth countries supplying the preponderance, including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, India, and Pakistan, as well as growing numbers of African and Caribbean workers (Moriarty et al, 2012). There have been explicit calls for cross-national research into migration patterns and impacts, and invitations to appreciate the complexities of the needs of the countries of origin, which include the availability of care in the source countries but also the remittances families receive from their care workers living abroad (Jones and Truell, 2012).…”

“…There is a growing literature not only on healthcare worker migration but increasingly also on social care worker movement (Moriarty et al, 2012). In discussing the shortages of workers and the spur to recruitment, studies emphasize the widening demographic of elderly people in the U.K., the concomitant demand for social care, the low pay associated with the sector, together with the aforementioned gendered assumptions (Shutes, 2011).…”

The Challenges Experienced by Zimbabwean Social Workers Practising in Gauteng Townships

“…Yeates (2011) studied transnationalisation of care, and Moriarty, Hussein, Manthorpe and Stevens (2012) researched trends in international labour mobility with a specific focus on social workers. A later study by Hanna and Lyons (2014) looked at European social workers practising in England and highlighted the "local realities" that social workers are expected to intervene in, yet their training might not have entirely provided for that.…”

Migrant Social Workers, Foreign Credential Recognition and Securing Employment in Canada

“…Research on the professional migration and adaptation of social workers has been increasing in volume internationally over the past decade Beddoe & Fouche, 2014;Brown et al, 2015;Fouche, Beddoe, Bartley, & de Haan, 2014a;Fouche, Beddoe, Bartley, & Brenton, 2014b;Hussein, Manthorpe, & Stevens, 2010;Hussein, Manthorpe, & Stevens, 2011a;Hussein, Stevens, Manthorpe, & Moriarty, 2011b;Hussein, 2014;Moriarty, Hussein, Manthorpe, & Stevens, 2012;Pullen-Sansfaçon, Spolander, & Engelbrecht, 2011;Pullen-Sansfaçon et al, 2012;Pullen-Sansfaçon et al, 2014a;Pullen-Sansfaçon et al, 2014b;Simpson, 2009;Sims, 2012;Walsh, Wilson, & O'Connor, 2010;Welbourne et al, 2007). The existing Canadian literature reveals that the transnational mobility of social workers interfaces with the Canadian labour market at several critical junctures including pursuing credential recognition, engaging in the job seeking process, and adapting to daily realities and required tasks within the new practice context once employment has been secured (Brown et al, 2015;Fang, 2012;Pullen-Sansfaçon et al, 2012).…”