What We Learned at Our November Roundtable: A System United in Saying “Enough”

Last month, we teamed up with Citizens UK to bring 50 people from across the care sector together for a roundtable discussion. The group was made up of international care workers, UK care providers, advocacy groups, researchers, and community leaders – all committed to changing the narrative for displaced international care workers in the UK.

Unsurprisingly, but still heart warming, the event was unifying and directing.

Hosted by our CEO Liz and Eve from Citizens UK, the session opened with personal introductions and a grounding reminder of why we were there: to listen, to learn, and to take action for systemic change.

We were also joined by advocates Prem and Taiwo, who brought invaluable expertise in social justice, community organising, and policy.

Prem set the agenda and the tone for the roundtable, establishing a safe space of mutual respect and encouraging reflections in the chat box: I’ll get back to this later on!

Stories That Shook the Room

We began by sharing a video of displaced care workers – stories we are developing further into in-depth profiles. Then 4 people shared their lived experiences of working in or interacting with the care sector. The stories were unsurprising to anyone who has been paying attention to the care sector but nevertheless heartbreaking. I saw attendees leaning in and visibly moved.

I implore you to take a moment with the stories below: 

Tee

A domiciliary care worker who arrived in the UK in 2023, hopeful to support adult social care and build a secure future for her family.

Instead, she faced:

• Unpaid travel of up to 4 hours daily.

• 5am–10pm schedules with only 6 hours counted as paid work.

• No travel planning.

• No regard for basic wellbeing.

• Threats, exploitation, and what she described as modern slavery.

Her sponsor’s licence was revoked within months. She was unable to work full-time for over a year. She was let down due to no fault of her own. 

The financial and emotional toll was more than one person should carry.

But her message was clear: “We are essential to the care system. With better treatment, we can help fix the shortages and provide compassionate care.”

AJ

Originally a mechanical engineer, AJ chose care work after caring for his son during a medical crisis. He came to Scotland to study IT and applied to be a care worker — motivated, skilled, and committed.

His sponsorship was revoked within months.

He described:

• Fear.

• Hunger.

• The inability to pay rent.

• Complete financial collapse.

He cited the transformation he had experienced through SESCA and Tresacare’s support, shifting him into being a better carer. 

His final message addressing that the government know what is happening and that they can fix the problem: 

“A carer who has no future or certainty cannot be excellent in what they do.”

Care Worker 3 

Arrived from India on a senior care visa in 2022 with hope and excitement of a new beginning. 

Her contract promised fair pay and reasonable working hours. 

The reality was far from this:

• Forced to work one month straight without a break.

• Threatened with visa cancellation when asking questions.

• Assigned to unintended domiciliary work.

• 20-mile commutes a day.

• No paid breaks.

When sick and unable to work she was told: “Take paracetamol and come to work.”

She provided a true insight to the tight rope international care workers walk daily: ‘we often stay quiet because we fear losing out jobs our visas and our dreams’

Olufunke Adeloye

Finally we heard from Olufunke, a parent-carer whose daughter lived with complex medical needs for 14 years and whose care was completely mismanaged.

She described the devastating lack of consistency in care workers which led to extra pressure being put on her:

• Supervising and training new staff. 

• No rest or respite.

• Exhaustion leading to breakdowns.

Her organisation, Oakonsult Disabilities Outreach, now supports parent-carers because too many are left without the support they are promised.

Her testimony reminded everyone of the human cost of a broken system for carers, those they care for and their families.

The Chat Box Became a Chorus

As each story unfolded, messages streamed in:

“Thank you for sharing.”

“This is heartbreaking.”

“The waste of human potential is staggering.”

“We need to double our efforts to bring change.”

Turning Emotion Into Action: The Six Asks

The group reviewed the Six Asks for government and regulators.

In breakout rooms, attendees workshopped how to strengthen and clarify these asks. Themes included:

• Linking visas directly to the sector, not individual employers.

• Stronger, proactive regulation.

• Auditing sponsors more thoroughly.

• Preventing companies from simply reopening under new names.

• Improving pay and conditions for all care workers.

• Ensuring travel time is paid fairly.

• Building accountability into the system.

• Creating respect, stability, and professional pathways for international staff.

A Moment to Remember

At the end, participants were asked: “If you are committed to helping change the care sector, please raise your hand.”

Instantly, a sea of hands rose. Dozens of small squares on the screen filled with raised hands, united by a shared purpose.

It was a powerful, visual reminder: This issue cannot be ignored, we all need to be vocal in fixing a broken system.

Where We Go From Here

This roundtable was more than a discussion. It was a collective statement:

We will not look away.

We will not let displaced care workers stay unheard or unsupported.

We will push for a fair, safe, sustainable care system where every worker and every family is treated with dignity.

Thank you to everyone who attended. Your voices, your compassion, and your commitment will move this work forward.

We are continuing with this momentum, on the 9th December, we’ll hold our first working group session with care workers and civil society organisations. This group will coordinate the collection of stories, policy input, and advocacy opportunities to begin shaping the next phase of the campaign.