Care Workers and Home Carers, classified under SOC Code 6135, are dedicated professionals who play a vital role in supporting individuals with varying care needs. Their responsibilities encompass a wide range of tasks that ensure service users maintain their dignity and quality of life. 

• Key Responsibilities:
  • Assist service users in all aspects of their care needs, including physical, emotional, and spiritual support.
  • Ensure the highest possible levels of care are maintained by providing assistance with daily living activities.
  • Provide specialized support to service users with limited mobility or those experiencing physical or learning difficulties, using appropriate aids.
  • Promote continence and assist in the delivery of care for users who are dying or suffering from progressive illnesses.
  • Complete written daily records as instructed, in compliance with the company's policies and procedures.
  • Participate in training days/courses as required to enhance skills and knowledge.
  • For professionally trained personnel, responsibilities may include the distribution of medication to those in care.

With an increasing demand for skilled care workers in the UK's healthcare sector, this guide will assist HR professionals in navigating the process of hiring and sponsoring care workers under the UK’s immigration framework.

What is SOC Code 3411 for Care workers and home carers?

SOC Code 6135 refers to care workers and home carers who provide essential support to individuals in need of assistance with their care needs. Their responsibilities can include:

• Assisting with daily living: Supporting service users with personal hygiene, dressing, and meal preparation to promote independence.
• Emotional and spiritual support: Providing companionship and comfort to service users, helping them maintain their dignity and individuality.
• Supporting mobility: Aiding service users with limited mobility or physical/learning difficulties by effectively using mobility aids.
• Promoting continence: Assisting service users in maintaining continence and providing the necessary support for their comfort.
• End-of-life care: Delivering compassionate care for service users who are dying or experiencing progressive illnesses.
• Documentation and compliance: Completing written daily records as instructed and adhering to company policies and procedures.
• Ongoing training: Attending training sessions and courses to ensure best practices and compliance with care standards.
• Medication administration: If professionally trained, distributing medication as per care plans and regulations.

Care workers and home carers play a vital role in supporting individuals to live with dignity and quality, contributing significantly to their well-being and comfort.

Eligibility to Hire Care workers and home carers (SOC Code 3411)

1. Job Requirements

Care workers and home carers seeking employment in this role must meet certain qualifications and experience criteria. These may include:

• Compassionate Care: Demonstrated ability to assist service users in all aspects of their care needs, including physical, emotional, and spiritual support to ensure dignity and individuality.
• Daily Living Assistance: Proven experience in supporting service users with daily living tasks, particularly for those with limited mobility or physical/learning difficulties. 
• Aids Proficiency: Familiarity with various mobility aids and assistive devices, ensuring effective and safe usage for enhanced mobility of service users.
• End-of-Life Care: Experience in providing compassionate care for service users who are dying or experiencing progressive illnesses, adhering to the required protocols and guidelines.
• Record Keeping: Ability to complete accurate written daily records as instructed, in compliance with company policies and procedures.
• Ongoing Education: Willingness to attend training days and courses, both on-site and off-site, to maintain up-to-date knowledge and skills relevant to caregiving.
• Medication Management: If professionally trained, potential responsibilities may include the safe distribution of medicine in accordance with healthcare standards.

Ensure the job description aligns with SOC Code 6135 and that the applicant's experience and skills meet the expectations for the role.

1. Salary Thresholds
2. Use the Minimum Salary Calculator to ensure your salary offer meets immigration requirements.

Sponsoring Care workers and home carers: A Step-by-Step Guide for HR Professionals

Once you’ve confirmed that the role and candidate meet the eligibility requirements, follow this step-by-step guide to sponsoring Care workers and home carers under SOC Code 6135.

Step 1: Obtain a Sponsor Licence

Before hiring non-UK Care workers and home carers, your company or institution must obtain a sponsor licence. This licence enables you to legally sponsor overseas Care workers and home carers under the Skilled Worker Visa program.

• Sponsor Licence Application: Submit documentation proving that your business is legitimate and has a genuine vacancy. Visit the sponsor licence application guide for more information.
• Sponsor Licence Fees: Small businesses typically pay £574, while larger institutions pay £1,579. For more information, visit the sponsor licence fees guide.
• Processing Time: Applications typically take up to 8 weeks, but using the Sponsor Licence Priority Service can reduce the processing time to 10 working days.

Once your sponsor licence is approved, you will receive a sponsor licence number, which allows you to assign Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS).

Step 2: Assign a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)

Once you have your sponsor licence, the next step is to assign a CoS to the Care workers and home carers. This document provides key details about the job and the individual being sponsored.

• Defined vs Undefined CoS: Use a Defined CoS for Care workers and home carers applying from outside the UK, and an Undefined CoS for those already in the UK. Learn more in the Defined & Undefined Certificates of Sponsorship guide.
• Required Documents: Provide details such as the Care workers and home carers’s portfolio, passport and job offer. Refer to Documents Required for Certificate of Sponsorship for a full list of necessary documents.

Step 3: Apply for the Skilled Worker Visa

Once the CoS is issued, the Care workers and home carers can apply for the Skilled Worker Visa.

• Visa Fees: Fees vary depending on the role and visa length—use the visa fees calculator to estimate the costs.
• Immigration Skills Charge: Employers are required to pay this charge as part of sponsoring non-UK workers. This is separate from visa fees.

Conducting a Right to Work Check for Care workers and home carers

Before the Care workers and home carers begins working, you must conduct a right to work check to ensure they are legally allowed to work in the UK.

• Manual Right to Work Check: Verify original documents such as the Care workers and home carers’s passport and visa.
• Online Right to Work Check: If the Care workers and home carers holds an eVisa, you can use the UK government’s online system to verify their right-to-work status.

For more details on how to perform these checks, see the right to work check guide.

Post-Hiring Responsibilities and Compliance

1. Record-Keeping and Reporting  
2. • Record-Keeping: Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of the Care workers and home carers’s employment details, salary and contact information.
   • Reporting Changes: Report any significant changes to the Care workers and home carers’s role—such as promotions or salary increases—via the Sponsor Management System (SMS).
3. Sponsor Licence Duties and Compliance
4. Failure to comply with your sponsor licence duties can result in penalties or sponsor licence revocation, impacting your ability to sponsor future Care workers and home carerss.

How Borderless Can Help with Sponsoring Care workers and home carers

Sponsoring Care workers and home carers under SOC Code 6135 can be a complex process, but Borderless can simplify it for you. We offer comprehensive support to help you manage the entire sponsorship process.

End-to-End Sponsorship Support

At Borderless, we assist with:

• Sponsor Licence Application: Guiding you through the application process and ensuring all required documents are submitted correctly.
• Certificate of Sponsorship Assignment: Streamlining the CoS process to make hiring easier.
• Compliance Management: Helping you stay compliant with immigration laws to avoid penalties.

If you need assistance with hiring or sponsoring Care workers and home carers, get in touch for personalised support.

Conclusion

Hiring and sponsoring Care workers and home carers under SOC Code 6135 can be a rewarding way to enrich the cultural landscape of your organisation. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can successfully navigate the sponsorship process while ensuring compliance with UK immigration laws.

For further guidance, Borderless is ready to assist you with all your sponsorship needs. Contact us for expert advice.