Strengthening Support for Care Workers: Tresacare at the Department of Health & Social Care

Collaborations for change: Together with Citizens UK, Complete Woman and Leeds Sponsored Worker Hub, we brought care worker voices into the room to meet with the DHSC.

On 23 March, we joined a key meeting at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), in partnership with Citizens UK, Complete Woman, and the Leeds Sponsored Worker Hub.

Change doesn't come overnight, and rarely is it triggered by one actor. These collaborations for change are important as we pool our expertise and resources into advocating for meaningful and lasting changes for care workers. For us at Tresacare, it is also how we stay plugged in to what the sector needs at a policy – and individual – level.

In my capacity as co-founder and COO, I presented our work and the urgent need to better support displaced and international care workers. Every meeting like this one is a chance to bring what we see and hear every day – directly from care workers – into the rooms where decisions are made.

Bringing Real Voices to the Room

While we had connected with some of the stakeholders previously, this meeting was different as it was more direct, more grounded in the lived realities we see every day.

We were joined by Olu, one of the care workers in our community. Hearing her speak about her own experience brought a level of honesty and urgency that no report or data point ever could. It was a powerful reminder of why these conversations matter so deeply.

Olu spoke movingly about the emotional pressure of displacement, the uncertainty facing her family, and the importance of having support systems that help care workers rebuild stability and hope. She also reminded the room that behind every immigration policy are real people, families, and communities.

Here's what she shared with the group that day:

My name is Oluwayemisi. I am a carer. When my company's licence was revoked, everything I had worked for fell apart overnight. The pressure was unbearable. I didn't know where to turn. That's when Tresacare became more than a support service. They became a lifeline. They made me feel seen, heard and cared for at a moment when I felt completely alone. They reminded me that this setback was not the end of my story. Because of their support, I found the strength and confidence to start again. When giving up felt easier, they helped me keep going. I am also a mother. Every day, I have to keep my children safe, stable and emotionally secure – even when my own life feels uncertain. Tresacare and SESCA have been there on the days when I felt exhausted and didn't know how to cope. As an immigrant, life is not simple. There are school runs, appointments, bills, emotional needs – and the constant pressure to keep everything together. Some days the weight of it all is too much. Without this support, I genuinely do not know how I would manage. If this support was taken away tomorrow, my children would feel it straight away. The stability we have worked so hard to build would start to fall apart. The stress – on them and on me – would grow quickly. This support is not a nice to have. It is something we cannot live without. But I am not the only one. Every person in this community has a similar story. People who arrived feeling alone, and found friendship. People who felt lost, and found direction. People who were struggling in silence, and finally felt supported. Tresacare brings people together. It creates spaces to learn, to heal and to grow. It makes sure no one is left behind. And the people it helps often go on to help others. That is how communities are built. That is how things change. If you take this support away, you are not just affecting one family. You are affecting an entire community of care workers who came to this country to look after your most vulnerable people – and who now need someone to look after them. Tresacare and SESCA do that. Please don't stop funding them. Thank you.

What We Asked For

During the session, we put forward several key priorities to strengthen the system:

• Increased funding to support frontline organisations working directly with care workers

• Additional support for the 2026/27 financial year, in light of ongoing policy changes and sector pressures

• Clear safeguarding pathways to better protect displaced workers

• Greater standardisation across regional hubs to ensure consistent support nationwide

These are practical, actionable steps that can make an immediate difference – not only for care workers, but for the stability of the wider care system.

Collaborations For Change

The meeting was constructive, with strong engagement from attendees and a shared recognition of the challenges facing the sector. Encouragingly, there was clear openness to continued collaboration.

We secured an important new contact within the Home Office, giving us a direct channel to raise specific visa and immigration issues affecting migrant care workers. The Home Office also committed to meeting with us again in the coming weeks to further discuss these challenges alongside legal experts.

In addition, DHSC recognised the strength of our frontline relationships and expressed a commitment to continue working with Tresacare to support best practice and improve outcomes for migrant care workers.

As a next step, we will also be connected with regional hubs across the country – an important move towards building more joined-up, accessible support for care workers.

Looking Ahead

Moments like this matter. They represent progress – not just in being heard, but in building the relationships needed to turn ideas into action.

At Tresacare, we remain committed to working alongside government and sector partners to ensure care workers are supported, protected, and able to continue their vital work.