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The Sponsored Staff Who Strengthen Wales: A Tribute to Those Who Came to Care

The national conversation about overseas care workers has grown louder in recent months. Andy Burnham has spoken about the need to recognise the contribution sponsored staff make, and concerns have been raised about previously proposed changes that would have extended the wait for Indefinite Leave to Remain to fifteen years. For many in the sector, including us, this debate is not abstract. It is personal. It is about real people who came to Wales to work, to build a life and to support an ageing population that depends on them every day.


After Covid, the care sector faced one of the most severe staffing shortages in its history. Local recruitment collapsed and vacancies rose sharply across the UK. According to Social Care Wales Workforce Data and Vacancies, the country currently has 6,103 vacancies, with domiciliary care accounting for almost half. At the same time, demand for support continues to rise as Wales’s ageing population grows faster than almost anywhere else in the UK. The Office for National Statistics Population and Ageing Trends shows that Wales has one of the highest proportions of people aged 65 and over, a figure that continues to increase year on year.


In this environment, sponsored staff did not simply fill roles. They strengthened services, supported continuity of care and brought stability at a time when the sector needed it most.

Many of the people who joined us came from countries thousands of miles away. They left behind homes, families and careers. They paid significant costs to relocate, including visas, flights, accommodation deposits and training. They did not arrive looking for support from the UK. They arrived ready to work, ready to contribute and ready to build a future. They stepped into roles that were essential and that local staff were not coming forward to fill. Their determination and resilience have shaped our organisation in ways that cannot be overstated.


Many sponsored workers also share that they occasionally face assumptions about how they arrived in the UK. In a time when irregular migration is widely discussed, people sometimes misunderstand their situation or question whether they came through legal routes. This can be particularly upsetting because you cannot work in social care without the correct visa and meeting every requirement set by the UK Government. For individuals who have already experienced the trauma of leaving home, family and stability behind, these assumptions can be distressing. Yet even with these challenges, they continue to give their all to support vulnerable people and older adults with complex needs. Their commitment speaks volumes about their character and the value they bring to Wales.


We regularly hear from clients who say how much they enjoy learning about our staff and the different journeys that brought them to Wales. They often tell us that meeting people from so many backgrounds makes the care feel richer and more personal. It helps them feel connected to the people who support them every day.


Across Wales, the contribution of overseas workers is clear. The social care workforce includes 84,908 people, according to Social Care Wales Workforce Data. Meanwhile, Skills for Care’s State of the Adult Social Care Sector and Workforce reports that nearly one in three of the UK’s 1.6 million care workers are foreign citizens, highlighting the essential role international recruitment plays in maintaining services.


The Social Care Wales Workforce Data shows that around 6.7% of the Welsh social care workforce require a visa to work in the sector, a number that continues to grow as recruitment challenges persist. These staff bring compassion, skill and stability at a time when the sector needs all three. They support older people, dementia care, complex needs and community services that would struggle to operate without them.


Their impact goes beyond the practical. They bring languages, cultural understanding and a deep sense of purpose. They integrate into communities, build relationships with families and contribute to the social fabric of Wales. They enrich workplaces with their stories, their humour and their commitment. They remind us that care is not just a job. It is a calling.


As the UK continues to debate immigration rules and the future of sponsored workers, it is important to remember who these individuals are. They are people who made enormous sacrifices to come here. They are people who chose Wales as their home. They are people who care for our elderly with dignity, respect and humanity. They are people who strengthen our communities every day.


This is a moment to recognise their value. It is a moment to acknowledge their contribution. It is a moment to ensure they have security, fairness and a clear future in the country they now call home. The UK Government’s Immigration Rules and ILR Policy Discussions highlight how vital it is that any changes consider the human impact on those who came here under existing expectations. The Local Government Association’s Social Care Workforce Insights also underline the ongoing reliance on international recruitment to maintain safe staffing levels across the UK.


To our sponsored staff, past and present, thank you. You did not just join our company. You helped shape it. You brought stability when it was needed most. You brought kindness to the people who rely on us. You brought your stories, your courage and your commitment. Wales is better because of you.




Y Gweithwyr Noddedig sy’n Cryfhau Cymru: Teyrnged i’r Rheini a Ddaeth i Ofalu

Mae’r sgwrs genedlaethol am weithwyr gofal o dramor wedi dod yn fwy amlwg yn ystod y misoedd diwethaf. Mae Andy Burnham wedi siarad am yr angen i gydnabod cyfraniad staff noddiedig, ac mae pryderon wedi’u codi am newidiadau a gynigiwyd yn flaenorol a fyddai wedi ymestyn yr amser aros am Anhedledd i Aros am bymtheg mlynedd. I lawer yn y sector, gan gynnwys ni, nid yw’r drafodaeth hon yn ddamcaniaethol. Mae’n bersonol. Mae’n ymwneud â phobl go iawn a ddaeth i Gymru i weithio, i adeiladu bywyd ac i gefnogi poblogaeth sy’n heneiddio ac sy’n dibynnu arnynt bob dydd.


Ar ôl Covid, roedd y sector gofal yn wynebu un o’r prinderau staffio mwyaf difrifol yn ei hanes. Methodd recriwtio lleol ac fe gododd bylchau swyddi yn sydyn ledled y DU. Yn ôl Data a Bylchau Gweithlu Gofal Cymdeithasol Cymru, mae gan y wlad 6,103 o swyddi gwag ar hyn o bryd, gyda gofal cartref yn cyfrif am bron i hanner. Ar yr un pryd, mae galw am gymorth yn parhau i godi wrth i boblogaeth sy’n heneiddio yng Nghymru dyfu’n gyflymach nag unrhyw ran arall o’r DU. Mae Tueddau Poblogaeth ac Heneiddio y Swyddfa Ystadegau Gwladol yn dangos bod gan Gymru un o’r cyfrannau uchaf o bobl 65 oed a throsodd, ac mae’r ffigur hwn yn cynyddu flwyddyn ar ôl blwyddyn.


Mewn amgylchiad fel hyn, nid oedd staff noddiedig yn llenwi rolau yn unig. Roedden nhw’n cryfhau gwasanaethau, yn cynnal parhad gofal ac yn dod â sefydlogrwydd ar adeg pan oedd y sector ei angen fwyaf.


Daeth llawer o’r bobl a ymunodd â ni o wledydd filoedd o filltiroedd i ffwrdd. Gadawon nhw gartrefi, teuluoedd a gyrfaoedd ar eu hôl. Talon nhw gostau sylweddol i ailsefydlu, gan gynnwys fisa, hediadau, blaendal llety a hyfforddiant. Nid oedden nhw’n dod i geisio cymorth gan y DU. Daethon nhw’n barod i weithio, i gyfrannu ac i adeiladu dyfodol. Camon nhw i mewn i rolau hanfodol nad oedd staff lleol yn dod ymlaen i’w llenwi. Mae eu penderfyniad a’u gwydnwch wedi siapio ein sefydliad mewn ffyrdd na ellir eu gorbwysleisio.

Mae llawer o weithwyr noddiedig hefyd yn rhannu eu bod weithiau’n wynebu rhagdybiaethau am sut y daethon nhw i’r DU. Mewn cyfnod lle mae mewnfudo afreolaidd yn cael ei drafod yn aml, mae rhai pobl yn camddeall eu sefyllfa neu’n cwestiynu a ddaethon nhw drwy lwybrau cyfreithiol. Gall hyn fod yn arbennig o anodd gan na allwch weithio yn y sector gofal heb y fisa cywir a chyflawni pob gofyniad a osodwyd gan Lywodraeth y DU. I unigolion sydd eisoes wedi profi trawma o adael cartref, teulu a sefydlogrwydd, gall y rhagdybiaethau hyn fod yn boenus. Serch hynny, er gwaethaf yr heriau hyn, maen nhw’n parhau i roi popeth i gefnogi pobl fregus a phobl hŷn ag anghenion cymhleth. Mae eu hymrwymiad yn dweud llawer am eu cymeriad a’r gwerth y maen nhw’n ei ddod i Gymru.

Rydym yn aml yn clywed gan gleientiaid sy’n dweud faint maen nhw’n mwynhau dysgu am ein staff a’r gwahanol deithiau a’u dygodd i Gymru. Maen nhw’n dweud yn aml bod cyfarfod pobl o gymaint o gefndiroedd yn gwneud y gofal yn fwy cyfoethog ac yn fwy personol. Mae’n eu helpu i deimlo’n gysylltiedig â’r bobl sy’n eu cefnogi bob dydd.


Ar draws Cymru, mae cyfraniad gweithwyr o dramor yn glir. Mae’r gweithlu gofal cymdeithasol yn cynnwys 84,908 o bobl, yn ôl Data Gweithlu Gofal Cymdeithasol Cymru. Mae State of the Adult Social Care Sector and Workforce gan Skills for Care hefyd yn dangos bod bron i un o bob tri o weithwyr gofal yn y DU yn ddinasyddion tramor, gan amlygu’r rôl hanfodol mae recriwtio rhyngwladol yn ei chwarae wrth gynnal gwasanaethau.


Mae Data Gweithlu Gofal Cymdeithasol Cymru yn dangos bod tua 6.7% o’r gweithlu gofal cymdeithasol yng Nghymru angen fisa i weithio yn y sector, ac mae’r ffigur hwn yn parhau i godi wrth i heriau recriwtio barhau. Mae’r staff hyn yn dod â thosturi, sgil a sefydlogrwydd ar adeg pan mae’r sector angen y tri pheth hyn. Maen nhw’n cefnogi pobl hŷn, gofal dementia, anghenion cymhleth a gwasanaethau cymunedol a fyddai’n ei chael hi’n anodd gweithredu hebddynt.


Mae eu heffaith yn mynd ymhell y tu hwnt i’r ymarferol. Maen nhw’n dod â ieithoedd, dealltwriaeth ddiwylliannol ac ymdeimlad dwfn o bwrpas. Maen nhw’n ymgysylltu â chymunedau, yn adeiladu perthnasoedd â theuluoedd ac yn cyfrannu at wead cymdeithasol Cymru. Maen nhw’n cyfoethogi gweithleoedd gyda’u straeon, eu hiwmor a’u hymrwymiad. Maen nhw’n ein hatgoffa nad yw gofal yn swydd yn unig. Mae’n alwedigaeth.


Wrth i’r DU barhau i drafod rheolau mewnfudo a dyfodol gweithwyr noddiedig, mae’n bwysig cofio pwy yw’r unigolion hyn. Maen nhw’n bobl a wnaeth aberthau enfawr i ddod yma. Maen nhw’n bobl a ddewisodd Gymru fel eu cartref. Maen nhw’n bobl sy’n gofalu am ein pobl hŷn gyda urddas, parch a dynoliaeth. Maen nhw’n bobl sy’n cryfhau ein cymunedau bob dydd.


Dyma foment i gydnabod eu gwerth. Dyma foment i gydnabod eu cyfraniad. Dyma foment i sicrhau bod ganddyn nhw ddiogelwch, tegwch a dyfodol clir yn y wlad y maen nhw bellach yn ei galw’n gartref. Mae Rheolau Mewnfudo Llywodraeth y DU a’r Trafodaethau ILR yn tynnu sylw at bwysigrwydd ystyried effaith ddynol unrhyw newidiadau ar y rhai a ddaeth yma o dan ddisgwyliadau presennol. Mae Mewnwelediadau Gweithlu Gofal Cymdeithasol y Gymdeithas Llywodraeth Leol hefyd yn amlygu’r dibyniaeth barhaus ar recriwtio rhyngwladol i gynnal lefelau staffio diogel ledled y DU.


I’n staff noddiedig, presennol a’r gorffennol, diolch. Nid oeddech chi’n ymuno â’n cwmni yn unig. Fe wnaethoch chi ei siapio. Fe wnaethoch chi ddod â sefydlogrwydd pan oedd ei angen fwyaf. Fe wnaethoch chi ddod â charedigrwydd i’r bobl sy’n dibynnu arnom. Fe wnaethoch chi ddod â’ch straeon, eich dewrder a’ch ymrwymiad. Mae Cymru’n well oherwydd chi.


 
 
 

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